New Challenges Volume 2: Wind's Calling
by Kaiphantom
Summary: In the aftermath, Ukyo struggles to cope with her new situation, while Kenji leaves to look for his family. But old enemies will not sit idle and when Ranma is no match for them, will Cologne and Happosai risk it all to save their young charges?
1. Chapter 1

Here's the sequel to Winds of Change. Enjoy!   
  
Contact me at: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
DISCLAIMER: I am Kami-sama. I claim everything.   
  
Ahem. On with the show.   
  
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Calling.   
  
When the Wind changes someone's life, a response to the change is   
practically demanded. Sometimes, the Wind arranges things so only a few   
responses are available.Those that believe in Fate and Destiny, refer to   
this as a Calling. Something they should do with their life, based on   
what they believe their destiny is.   
  
Even those that don't believe in fate, must ask themselves these   
questions: Why am I here? What should I do with my life?   
  
Life has just begun to change for several individuals within the town of   
Nerima, Japan, yet even bigger changes are on the way.   
  
The time is coming when certain martial artists must determine their   
fate for themselves.   
  
  
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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Wind's Calling   
  
Chapter 1   
  
  
  
  
Ariko bolted awake. Though her room was pitch black, she could   
sense movement around her.   
  
"Who's there?" she whispered. "Show yourself."   
  
The movement ceased, but she could still sense someone in her   
room. She forced herself to calm down. She closed her eyes and   
concentrated. The words came to her and she spoke them softly. Her eyes   
opened again and she stretched out her hand. Two silhouettes were   
outlined in a faint red hue.   
  
She gathered her concentration again and tried to recall the   
words to another of the few spells she knew. When the words were chanted   
in her head, she pointed her hand at one of the intruders.   
  
"Take this!"   
  
A bolt of electricity leapt from her hand and struck her target   
dead center. The man crumpled and a feeling of elation washed through   
Ariko. She tried to start the spell   
again, but didn't have time.   
  
While the next target didn't move, a cloud of something   
engulfed her and she inhaled. Immediately, she started feeling   
incredibly dizzy. The spell on her lips vanished   
and she collapsed back onto her bed.   
  
As she lay there, she watched helplessly as the three figures   
advanced on her. was her   
last thought before passing out.   
  
  
  
  
  
Ukyo thought to herself. I haven't a clue   
where I am, or what I'm doing. Actually, she was currently scaling a   
steep hill.   
  
A few tears formed in her eyes as memory forced itself on her.   
In her mind's eye, she could see a flash of red knock the boulder out of   
the way. Then, both it and Konatsu disappeared into the abyss.   
  
She reached to top of the hill and got a good view of the   
surrounding terrain. Not that there was much to see; it was the same as   
the terrain she been seeing for the past few hours. Or was it days? No,   
it had to be hours because she hadn't had anything to eat since she woke   
up and she wasn't hungry. Of course, she really didn't get tired either.   
  
In either case, all she could see was a thick forest canopy. It   
was split into two parts by the dirt path she continued to travel on. As   
far as she could see, the road continued for quite a long distance and   
disappeared into the horizon.   
  
"What is the meaning of this!?" she yelled in frustration. She   
promptly collapsed onto a large boulder to gather her thoughts.   
  
"Meaning of what?" a familiar voice asked.   
  
Ukyo turned around, searching for the speaker, and gasped when   
she saw him standing there. "Ranchan!" she exclaimed and promptly ran   
over to him to give him a hug. However, he jumped over her before she   
could wrap her arms around him. "Ranchan?"   
  
"Why are you callin' me, `Ranchan'?" he asked.   
  
Ukyo was confused. "That's your name..."   
  
"It is?" he shrugged. "Oh, well, I guess that's a good a name as   
always. I'll take it! By the way, who are you?"   
  
"What's going here?" she asked hesitantly. "If this is one of   
your games, I'm not laughing."   
  
`Ranchan' smiled. "OOOOOOH! Games! I like games! Wanna play?   
How about Monopoly(tm)?" A monopoly(tm) game board suddenly fell out of   
the sky and landed on ground.   
  
"What!?"   
  
"You're right, Nabiki's got the market on that one. How about   
checkers? Space invaders? Mortal Wombat?" As he named each one, they   
fell out of the sky and set themselves up.   
  
Ukyo shook her head. This couldn't be happening. "SHUT UP!" she   
yelled, and Ranchan quickly silenced. "Just who are you?"   
  
"I thought I was Ranchan?" he asked meekly.   
  
Ukyo sighed. "Well, you sure aren't acting like him. So who or   
what are you?"   
  
He grinned again. "I'm a figment of your imagination!"   
  
She blinked. "Nani?"   
  
"You got it! I'm the Ranchan you always wanted but could never   
have. Well, you can have me now! Let's go!" With that, he grabbed her   
and leaped into the sky. Ukyo could only hold on as he landed, ran a few   
short feet, then leapt again. When she opened her eyes and looked down,   
she suddenly realized he was leaping from rooftop to rooftop over   
Nerima.   
  
"Hey, we're back in Nerima!" she exclaimed. "Hey! Ranchan, you   
can put me down now!"   
  
He stopped, looked at her strangely, and set her down. "But   
we're almost to your restaurant and I'm hungry!" He pointed and she   
turned to see her restaurant across the street.   
  
"Well, I suppose I can fix you something to eat, come on!" She   
felt so happy! Her Ranchan had rescued her and brought her back home.   
She just had to fix him some of her famous okonomiyaki and he would be   
hers!   
  
Somehow, her mind conveniently forgot about where she had been   
and just decided to accept the current situation.   
  
She opened the door to `Ucchans' and flicked on the lights. It   
was empty inside, of course, but she quickly jumped into the task of   
cooking while her Ranchan sat down at the counter. As she prepared the   
batter, she couldn't help but feel that something was missing.   
  
"What's on your mind?" Ranchan asked. Ukyo looked up to see her   
fiance looking at her with concern on his face. "Is something wrong? Are   
you not happy?"   
  
Ukyo forced herself to smile. "Of course, everything's fine!"   
  
He smiled at her and she melted. "Good! Then you won't mind if   
I do this!" He bent forward, bringing their heads close together. Ukyo's   
heart jumped as she realized what he was about to do. With a quick   
motion, he brushed his lips against hers, and locked them together in a   
passionate kiss. It lasted a for a few seconds before he broke away.   
  
Ukyo stood there speechless for moment before finding her voice   
again. "Ranchan, what was that for?"   
  
He looked confused. "Isn't that what fiances do?"   
  
Ukyo's heart soared. He was finally acknowledging her as his   
fiancee! And her loved her! "Yes, of course! Oh Ranchan, I knew you'd   
pick me!" She bent over and returned the kiss. This one was a whole lot   
deeper and lasted a whole lot longer. She was so into it, she didn't   
even notice someone else come in until the newcomer spoke.   
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY FIANCE!?"   
  
They broke off the kiss and turned to see who it was. It was   
Akane.   
  
  
  
  
  
There she was, and he thought she never looked more beautiful   
in his enitre life. She smiled at him, her face framed by the two pretty   
blue flowers on either side of her head. He could swear his heart would   
pound right out of his chest.   
  
"You love me, don't you?" she asked, her voice hopeful.   
  
he wanted to say. "I didn't say it!"   
  
Tears began to flow down her face, and she dropped the bouquet   
of flowers she was holding. "You really don't like me, do you?"   
  
But no words would come out of his mouth.   
  
"If that's the way you feel, then fine!" She ran out of her   
room, and he ran after her. He followed her as she ran into the dojo.   
  
"Look out!" he yelled, but it was too late.   
  
Steaming meat buns and okonomiyaki were headed straight for   
her, and they exploded as they made contact.   
  
Nevertheless, he ran up to   
her still form and dropped to his knees, picking her up as he did so.   
  
"No! Please be alright! You can't die!"   
  
She opened her eyes slightly. "Why? You don't love me. Why   
should you care whether I live or die?"   
  
Her clothes and the scenery shifted, and now he was holding her   
on a ledge of stone above a pool of cold water. She was only wearing one   
of his red shirts and her eyes were closed.   
  
"Bu-but I do! Akane! I love you!"   
  
But unlike last time, she didn't wake up. She was dead, and   
tears were rapidly falling down his face, his mind hysterical.   
  
She seemed to whisper something, so he leaned closer.   
  
"G... Ra.. ma..."   
  
"Akane!"   
  
"Ge... um, Ra.. ma..."   
  
"I can't understand you!"   
  
"I said, Get up boy!" He froze. That was NOT Akane's voice.   
  
"Or do I have to use this bucket of water?" Genma taunted.   
  
Ranma rolled over his sleep, now sensing he was in his futon   
and his father was above him. "Go away, Oyaji. I'll be out in a second."   
  
"A true martial artist should be ready for anything," he   
reprimanded his son. "If I were a serious attacker, you'd be dead by   
now." As if to underscore his point, he dumped the water onto his son,   
who managed to roll away and stand up just in time to avoid getting wet.   
  
"What are ya tryin' to do, Pop!?"   
  
His father grinned. "Good, you're awake!" And promptly launched   
himself at his son.   
  
Ranma grabbed the front of his father's gi and fell backwards,   
tossing him out the window (which just happen to open since Genma had   
planned to throw his son out it). He dressed quickly, adrenaline pumping   
through his system from the dream. For once, he was really looking   
forward to the morning's workout so he could release his pent-up energy.   
  
Once his clothes were on, he leapt out the window after his   
father. As he landed on the ground, he searched for any sign of his dad,   
but Genma was nowhere in sight.   
  
"All right Pops, where are ya?" he yelled. "Or are ya too   
chicken to finish what   
you started?"   
  
"Right here!"   
  
Ranma barely had time to jump back as his father jumped from   
the roof to punch the ground where his son was standing a moment ago.   
  
"You're gettin' slow old man!"   
  
"I'm more of a martial artist than you'll ever be!"   
  
"Oh yeah, then prove it!" Ranma assumed a fighting stance.   
  
His father did likewise, then charged and the battle was   
joined. A flurry of punches and kicks were exchanged and at first Ranma   
seemed to have the upper hand. Then Genma managed to grab his son's   
wrist and twist it around his back.   
  
"Come on, boy, is that the best you've got?" he taunted.   
  
Ranma grunted, then tossed his head back, headbutting his   
father's chin and forcing him to let go. He then swung his left leg   
around, landing his foot into his opponent's stomach. Following up, he   
landed a few well placed punches and one more kick that knocked his   
father into the one location Cosmic Law demands one of them end up in:   
The small pond in the big yard. As expected, Genma-panda emerged looking   
down-trodden and growled at his son.   
  
"Like I said, you're gettin' slow old man!" Ranma laughed and   
then turned away. Genma seized the opportunity to jump out of the pond   
and warp his big furry arms around his son. "Hey! Lemme go!" he yelled.   
  
But it was too late.   
  
*Splash!*   
  
Genma-panda looked down at his son who was now his daughter.   
"What'd you that for!?" the red head complained. She leapt up to   
continue the assault when Kasumi called them to breakfast.   
  
Grumbling, the two entered the house and retrieved the hot   
water kettle. After changing back, they sat down at the table with   
everyone else. Well, almost everyone else.   
  
Kenji had left yesterday morning to go find his family's house   
and make amends with his old life. Ranma's mother had left to go comfort   
and look after a friend who was feeling quite ill.   
  
The pig-tailed youth sat down and immediately began scarfing   
down his bowl of rice. He slowed down and stopped when he noticed Akane   
smile at him. She turned her attention back to her food when he looked   
up at her.   
  
In that instant, the dream came back to him. He   
started to eat again, albeit slower this time. He didn't know where that   
dream had come from. All he remembered was the horrible feeling in his   
gut when he thought she was dead, both in Jusendo and in his dream.   
  
he promised. He absently fended off all   
his father's attempts to steal his food. I love you, but how can I tell   
you?   
  
Breakfast soon ended, and Genma and Soun retreated to their   
shogi board. Kasumi went into the kitchen to clean up and Nabiki flipped   
the TV on as she, Akane, and Ranma watched. A local news show was   
currently being broadcast.   
  
"...and in other news, another home was broken into, burglarized   
and a young female was abducted. The young girl was listed as Henki   
Ariko." A photo of a high school age girl replaced the newscaster on the   
screen. "That would make it the third such incident in the past week.   
Police still have no clue as to what ties these events together, but   
urged everyone to remain calm and to report any suspicious persons. When   
interviewed, the parents had no idea as to who would want to kidnap   
their little girl. Most of what was stolen, was in their daughter's   
bedroom. "   
  
Ranma glanced over at Akane to see a look of worry on her face.   
"Hey Akane, what's wrong?" he asked. "The police'll catch these guys."   
Ranma grinned. "Unless they try breaking in here, in which case they'll   
have ta deal with me!"   
  
She looked up and scowled at him, then her face relaxed when   
she saw he was only concerned about her. "I suppose you're right." She   
sighed. "I guess I'm also just a little worried about Kenji."   
  
Ranma shrugged. "Is that all? He can take care of himself, and   
no one's after him this time."   
  
"I know what you mean, Akane," Nabiki spoke up. "I kinda miss   
the amnesiac kid, too." Akane stared at her older sister, who shrugged.   
"I wasn't able to make much money off of him before he left."   
  
"Some things never change," Ranma muttered under his breath.   
Then said out loud, "But don't worry, it's not like Kenji's got the same   
bad direction sense as Ryoga."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The lost boy in question was, in fact, living up to his   
nickname. After the whole mage battle scene, he had once again gotten   
lost before he could beat the snot out of, er, challenge Kenji to a   
little match. Now he was just trying to get back to Nerima.   
  
he grumbled to himself. He   
stopped. Images flashed through his head of   
his impending defeat of Ranma. There he was, about to deliver the   
finishing blow, when the little punk blasted him with something.   
  
He continued walking down the dusty road, laughing a little.   
  
  
His thoughts drifted a bit to the other person he was searching   
for. A lovely young woman with long brown hair who had said she loved   
him. His thoughts   
darkened as he realized he may never find her with his direction   
problems and his Jusenkyo curse. Which of course, returned his thoughts   
to...   
  
"This is all Ranma's fault!" he grumbled louder, then reduced a   
nearby boulder to powder. He sighed, then continued on.   
  
His hopes soared again when he noticed a lone figure up ahead.   
The figure was sitting on a stump by   
the side of the road with his back towards Ryoga. He was also draped in   
a cloak, similar to his own, that was protecting him against the sandy   
winds that were currently bathing the area. Though the lost boy was also   
wearing goggles that obscured his face.   
  
"Hey you!" he called. "Do you know how to get to Nerima from   
here?"   
  
The figure turned to look at him. A brown cloth mask covered   
his mouth and, with the same color hood over his head, all Ryoga could   
see were the grey eyes. The man studied the lost boy for a moment, then   
pointed back in the direction Ryoga had come.   
  
Ryoga sighed. "Thanks, I..." The wind took that moment to lift   
a bit of the man's hood and expose the black hair, with an inch-thick   
white streak down the middle. Ryoga recognized the man's hair, if   
nothing else.   
  
"YOU!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Watching from his special chamber on the kami plane, a certain   
minor kami grinned. His name is Bob. Now I know what you're thinking,   
`why is a Japanese kami named Bob?'   
  
Simple, he was last in line.   
  
Back at the beginning of time, Kami-sama, the one who rules   
over all, had to name all of his kami. When Bob finally showed up after   
a thousand years, Kami-sama had all but run out of names. Tired and   
wanting a vaction from all the naming, Kami-sama took one look at the   
last minor kami and said, "You're Bob. Now get lost."   
  
And so named, Bob went off to rent his own office on the kami   
plane from where he could do his thing. And what is his thing?   
  
His official title says it all: Kami of mishaps, unusual   
meetings, and bad timing. He originally wanted the title of `Kami of   
bloopers and practical jokes,' but was informed a pair of gaijin kami   
already held that title. One supposedly never aged and danced well, and   
the other was known to give away great fortunes year after year.   
  
But I digress.   
  
Bob was currently happy because of how well he had timed this   
current encounter, proving the second and third descriptors in his   
title. As for the first descriptor, well, he spied a father and daughter   
in the same area and decided to have some more fun with the two martial   
artists.   
  
Rubbing his hands together, he gleefully leapt into his task.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Back on the mortal plane, the wind took that moment to die   
down, leaving the area deathly silent after Ryoga's outburst. The figure   
the lost boy was looking at, widened his eyes in surprise and cocked his   
head. Ryoga realized the man might not have recognized him with his own   
cloak and goggles, so he ripped them off and threw them to the ground,   
unholstering his umbrella in the process.   
  
"You're the snot-nosed punk who attacked in the middle of my   
fight with Ranma!" he growled. "Prepare to die!"   
  
Ryoga brought the umbrella down with crushing force, but the   
figure had already vacated the spot with a high backflip. In mid-leap,   
he pulled his hood and mask down, revealing the head of black hair with   
a white stripe down the middle.   
  
"You're Hibiki, aren't you?" asked Kenji, growing upset. "You   
just interupted my training session, and I was doing so well, too." He   
landed on the ground and assumed an attack stance. His tone lowered and   
he continued, menacingly, "I don't know what your problem is, but if you   
want a fight, you've got one."   
  
Ryoga charged. "That's Hibiki Ryoga to you! Now shut up and   
fight, punk!"   
  
"The name's Soyokaze Kenji," he yelled back. "Try to remember it   
after I bash your head in!"   
  
Kenji dodged the first three swings of the umbrella then   
flipped over Ryoga's head, kicking him in the back in the process. The   
lost boy moved forward a half-step, then turned and continued the   
assault, unfazed.   
  
"What was that?" Ryoga taunted. "A baby kick?"   
  
Kenji gritted his teeth. "Just getting warmed up!"   
  
The amnesiac ducked in low, under a power slash by the lost   
boy. Planting his hands on the ground, Kenji shot his feet upwards,   
impacting the wrist holding the umbrella. Ryoga's hand flew upwards and   
the umbrella went sailing away. Kenji rolled away and came up standing.   
  
He smirked. "Not so tough without your toy now, eh?"   
  
"I don't need it to deal with you!" Ryoga yelled back.   
  
He charged in again, arms shooting out in powerful punches.   
Once again, Kenji's agility easily allowed him to dodge the attacks,   
though one fist was able to clip him in the side. Pain flared in his   
lower torso, but Kenji managed to return several strikes to his   
opponent's body and head, then flip away.   
  
Ryoga wasn't through, however, pausing only to remove several   
bandannas from his head. To the other boy's surprise, the lost boy then   
flipped them in his direction. The amnesiac's danger sense pinged and he   
jumped out of the way as the projectiles shredded the landscape where he   
was just standing.   
  
"What the hell was that!?" Kenji exclaimed in disbelief.   
  
Ryoga grinned. "Just one of my little gifts."   
  
Another flight of bandanna's angled their way in as Kenji stood   
up. But instead of running, he decided to try something else.   
he thought to himself. Then he thrust out his right palm.   
  
"Hitohuki!" he called. A minor blast of wind sped from his open   
palm, engulfing the bandanna's and sending them off course. "You'll have   
to do better than-- oof!"   
  
Ryoga had taken advantage of the bandanna distraction to launch   
an attack, and one of his fists was now implanted in Kenji's stomach.   
The amnesiac went flying backwards and rolled when he hit the ground.   
  
He shakily regained his feet, one arm across his stomach. "Like   
I said, you'll... have to do better... than that."   
  
Ryoga nodded. "How about this? Ha!"   
  
He flew towards the now-slower amnesiac in a flurry of punches.   
Only this time, the punches were a feint. The real attack was when he   
poked the ground with his finger. "Bakusai Tenketsu!"   
  
Kenji still had enough speed to dodge the punches, but the   
exploding ground caught him totally off-guard. He went airborne once   
more, landing beyond several bushes, and out of Ryoga's sight.   
  
Ryoga laughed in triumph and leapt after him... straight into   
the stream that Kenji's clothes, and a wet dog, were now occupying.   
  
*Splash!*   
  
The wet dog looked at the wet piglet and their thoughts were   
identical.   
  
Then the fight instinct kicked back in.   
  
"Bwee bwee!"   
  
"Woof Woof!"   
  
"Bwee."   
  
Nevertheless, Ryoga snarled as only a Jusenkyo-cursed pig   
could, and sprung at the larger animal. Surprised by the speed of the   
assault, Kenji took the body slam under his jaw. His head flew upwards   
as the impact forced him back a few steps.   
  
Ryoga gave the wolf no time to recover, rebounding off the   
ground to slam into his opponent's side. Kenji fell and rolled out of   
the stream, but jerked back to a standing position when Ryoga began to   
bite and chew on one of his hind legs. Kenji yelped and thrust his leg   
back, tossing his porcine adversary away.   
  
Ryoga sprung again, but this time Kenji was ready. Anger at how   
easily Ryoga was beating him as a pig, was consuming his thoughts. He   
reached a paw up and batted the piglet out of the air, sending his   
porcine advesary into a tree. Ryoga's little piglet body couldn't take   
the abuse of his human one, so he was left stunned and dazed as he slid   
to the ground.   
  
Kenji advanced on his downed foe, teeth bared and growling   
menacingly. On some basic, animalistic level, his mind saw the dazed   
piglet as a meal and was sending signals to Kenji's salvitory glands.   
The amnesiac was too lost to his anger to intellectually realize what   
was happening to him.   
  
He scooped the piglet up in his mouth and prepared to bite   
down.   
  
Ryoga recovered enough of his senses to realize that one of his   
worst nightmares was about to happen. He was about to be eaten. "BWEEE!"   
  
"Now Papa!"   
  
That was all Kenji heard, as an impact upon his skull sent him   
off to lala land.   
  
Ryoga, stressed by the situation and the increased pressure on   
him by a fearsome mouth full of sharp teeth, fainted.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Author's Notes:   
  
In case you didn't get the joke, the two gaijin kami Bob is referring to   
are Dick Clark and Ed McMann. They hosted the originial show "Bloopers   
and Practical Jokes" a while ago. Dick Clark is known as the world's   
oldest teenager, because he still appears young, even though he's in his   
50s or something by now. Ed McMann is also part of an annual sweepstakes   
(Publishers Clearing House?) that gives away 10 million dollars.   
  
So now you get it? Right? 


	2. Chapter 2

Hmmm, I think my writing has actually improved through this. You think?   
  
Contact me at: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
DISCLAIMER: I'm didn't create anything! The little elf on my shoulder   
told me! Honest!   
  
  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Winds Calling   
  
Chapter 2   
  
  
  
  
"Hi Akane, what brings you by?" Ranma asked.   
  
"What do you think you're doing!?" she demanded, her battle aura   
flaring.   
  
"Just kissing my fiancee, is that okay?" he asked.   
  
Ukyo glanced back and forth between the two and wondered why   
this situation felt so wrong. She shook her head. Ranchan had chosen   
HER, as she knew he would. She had known him the longest and he had   
promised to take care of her. From now on, her life would be perfect!   
  
"I've won, Akane, why don't you just accept it?" asked Ukyo   
condescendingly. "We can at least be friends."   
  
Ranchan looked back at Ukyo and gave her a loving glance. Akane   
looked ready to explode, then her aura promptly faded and tears began to   
well up in her eyes. "If that's the way you want it, FINE!" She began to   
cry. "Good-bye!" She turned and sprinted out of the restaurant.   
  
Ukyo began to feel really sick to her stomach. She didn't   
expect Akane to show so much emotion and caring since it didn't seem   
that she even liked Ranma. She turned back to the pig-tailed boy who was   
still smiling at her. What was on his mind?   
  
"So, how about that okonomiyaki, darling?" he asked sweetly.   
  
Ukyo blinked. "But what   
about Akane?"   
  
"What about her?" Ranchan's answer surprised Ukyo. I know he   
seemed to be uncaring at times, but he always showed at least some   
affection for Akane. What's going on?   
  
"Uh, don't you think we should do something?" Ukyo answered. She   
hopped over the counter and grabbed her Ranchan's arm. "Come on, I guess   
we should go find her." Ranma let himself be dragged outside. "Akane!   
Where are you?" she called, but received no answer.   
  
She took off towards the Tendo dojo, practically dragging Ranma   
with her. After running a few blocks, Ukyo began to get a funny feeling.   
All the streets and houses looked different than she remembered. In   
fact, she really couldn't pick out any signs or landmarks which would   
lead her to the dojo, or anywhere for that matter. She stopped and   
looked around at the place she thought would be the dojo, but it was   
just another house.   
  
"That's strange, I thought the dojo was right here," she said to   
herself. She looked over to Ranma who just had a funny grin on his face.   
She frowned. "All right, what's going on?" She shook Ranma. "Tell me!"   
  
"Why bother?" came a new voice. Ukyo turned to see Ryoga sitting   
against a wall.   
  
"Ryoga-kun!" she exclaimed. "Where are we? What's going on?"   
  
The lost boy got up and walked over to her. "Does it really   
matter? Do you really care? I don't. One place is as good as another."   
  
Ukyo grabbed him and shook him violently. "OF COURSE IT   
MATTERS! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!"   
  
The sound of laughing could be heard and the two turned to see   
Ranma cracking up in hilarious laughter. Ryoga very visibily became   
enraged at that.   
  
"STOP IT!" He pulled his umbrella out and Ukyo watched in horror   
as he smashed it down on the laughing Ranma, who crumpled into a bloody   
mess. All the anger promptly drained from the lost boy's face and he put   
his umbrella back.   
  
"RANCHAN!" Ukyo yelled as she dropped to her knees. "You killed   
him!" She began to cry as she looked up at Ryoga. "Why!?"   
  
Ryoga shrugged. "It's symbolic, I think. But you'd have to ask   
the old ghoul. I don't really care, I'm all alone anyway, as are you."   
  
Ukyo could only sob at the remains of her fiance.   
  
"That's what I been saying," Ryoga said.   
  
Ukyo glanced up. "What? Did you read my thoughts?" Ryoga only   
shrugged.   
  
"Come child, there's no need for tears," a old voice sounded   
from behind her. She turned around to see Cologne balancing on her   
staff.   
  
"Cologne!" Ukyo exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Ranma's   
dead and I... I..."   
  
Cologne came up to her and brushed her tears away. "Shhh...   
That's okay. Ranma's not dead, not as long as you want to keep him   
alive. Do you?" Ukyo nodded slowly, not really understanding, to which   
Cologne smiled. She took her staff and tapped the remains of Ranma.   
Slowly, he unfolded and grew. In less than a minute, Ranma was back to   
normal.   
  
Ukyo gasped, then flung foreword and hugged him. "Oh, Cologne,   
thank you!"   
  
Cologne jumped back up onto her staff. "I did nothing, it was   
you who decided you wanted him back."   
  
Ukyo dried her tears. "So, where am I?"   
  
Cologne shrugged. "You are here, but that's not important. It's   
where you want to go that you should be asking."   
  
Ukyo thought for a minute. "I need to find Akane and talk to   
her."   
  
Cologne smiled. "Good choice. But she is where you are not   
ready to go. Still, there may be a way." She began to bounce off. "Come   
child, follow me and bring those two idiots with you."   
  
Ukyo shrugged, long past understanding what was going on. She   
grabbed Ranma with one hand (who continued to grin wildly and chuckle   
occasionally), Ryoga with the other (who still had that lonely and   
dejected look on his face), and headed off after the old woman.   
  
  
  
  
  
Hikaru Gosunkugi knew he was in trouble. Not just any trouble   
mind you. After all, he'd been picked on by bullies, manipulated by   
Nabiki and Kuno, and humiliated by Ranma. That kind of trouble he was   
used to and could deal with. No, this was a different kind of trouble,   
he could sense it.   
  
Sense it? Yes, just in the past few days, he seemed to have   
garnered a sixth sense. Not much of one, but enough to know he was in   
trouble before it happened. It had allowed him to avoid the bullies on   
the way to and from school twice now.   
  
This particular day, the trouble came in the form a stalker.   
Now, by nature he was a paranoid person, but he just knew someone was   
following him. He'd turn around to try to catch a glimpse of his   
follower and for a second he thought he saw something. Then the image   
would disappear into the crowd and leave him wondering if something   
really was there. He turned back around and continued on down the   
street. As soon as he turned a corner, he broke into a sprint and raced   
for home.   
  
By the time he reached the door to his abode, he was severely   
out of breath and panting heavily. But he was sure he lost his stalker.   
Well, pretty sure anyway. After all, there was no way he could've   
followed him here, could he?   
  
Within the span of a few seconds, Hikaru was in his room and   
locking the door. He barely paid any attention to his parents as he   
whizzed by, and they returned the favor. They had learned long ago that   
their son was a strange kid and needed his privacy. If he had anything   
to tell him, he would.   
  
Hikaru began to look through his magic books (all two of them),   
for any type of spell that would help him learn the identity of his   
stalker, or at least give him the means to defend himself.   
  
Four hours later, he was fast asleep over his books. The sun   
had gone down two hours ago and his parents had gone to bed one hour   
ago. Perhaps if they were still up, they could've done something. Then   
again, maybe not.   
  
The window to Hikaru's bedroom slowly opened and several people   
climbed in. Nodding to each other, they approached the sleeping boy. By   
the time he woke up, it was too late. The men grabbed him and taped his   
mouth shut before stuffing him in a sack. One of the invaders went out   
the window with him. The other two brought out two more sacks and began   
to collect everything not nailed down.   
  
By the time the police arrived after being called by the   
parents (they went to wake him up for breakfast), the room was stripped   
clean and Hikaru Gosunkugi was gone.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Did you hear?" Nabiki said while reading a book. "Hikaru has   
been abducted."   
  
She was laying on the couch while Genma and Soun were playing   
Shogi (and cheating as usual), Ranma and Akane were playing cards (Ranma   
was losing as usual), and Kasumi was doing the laundry just outside (and   
seemingly oblivious to everything as usual).   
  
"Oh dear," Kasumi said. "Who would do such a dreadful thing?"   
  
Ranma's jaw dropped. "They got Gos? Why would anyone want him?"   
Akane wacked him on the head with the most convenient item, a rolled up   
newspaper. "What was that for!?"   
  
Akane ignored him. "I guess Ranma has a point. Why would anyone   
want to kidnap Hikaru-san? He's a little strange I'll admit..."   
  
Nabiki raised and eyebrow. "A little? The boy wears candles on   
his head, carries around voodoo dolls and a wooden spike, and hides in   
bushes taking pictures of you."   
  
Akane sighed. "Okay, he's very strange, but he's basically   
harmless and his family's not wealthy or anything, so what would the   
kidnappers want him?"   
  
"It seems to be getting to be really unsafe around here," Kasumi   
commented. "What with all the kidnappings and burglaries."   
  
Nabiki smiled. "Yeah, and isn't it the duty of honor-bound   
martial artists to keep the peace and end these kidnappings?"   
  
The next noise to be heard was a splash, which drew everyone's   
attention to the yard. In it, a panda was playing with a tire. A sign   
was staked into the ground nearby reading, "I'm just a panda!"   
  
Ranma sighed. "That's my pop, ever willing to throw himself   
into danger for others."   
  
Akane looked thoughtful. "Maybe we should look into this. After   
all the police don't have a clue."   
  
Nabiki got up. "Actually they do." Everybody turned toward her   
waiting for an answer. "Which I'll gladly share for 1000 yen." To which   
everyone face-faulted.   
  
Akane nudged Ranma. "It's your turn to pay."   
  
"Why is it my turn!?"   
  
"Cause I paid last time!" Akane was about to scowl at him, but   
got a better idea. Instead, she fixed him with her best, warm smile.   
  
Ranma froze, like a deer caught in the headlights, and started   
to sweat. I hate when she does that! "Yeah whatever, I got nothin'   
better to do." I just can't resist that kawaii smile of hers. He   
sighed and fished into his pocket, handing the money to Nabiki. "Do   
tell."   
  
Nabiki smiled victoriously. "Well, it seems all of the   
kidnapped were into some strange stuff. Spirit worship, voodoo, magic   
books, fortune-telling, that kind of stuff. So the police think it might   
be the work of some sort of cult. Either they were taken by a cult, or   
staged their kidnappings to join the cult."   
  
There was silence for few seconds, then Ranma spoke up. "So I   
guess that's why Gosunkugi was taken, but I don't see him joining a cult   
willingly, so it would have to be kidnapping."   
  
"You think that the wizard sects are at the bottom of this?"   
Akane asked.   
  
Ranma shrugged. "Could be, but I don't see why. I hate to say   
this, but maybe we should ask the old ghoul." He stood up. "Anybody   
coming with me?"   
  
Nabiki backed up. "No thank you. I'm not a martial artist so I   
don't get involved." She then trudged upstairs.   
  
"I'll go with you, Ranma," Akane said standing up. "Shampoo will   
be over there and someone needs to keep an eye on you two." She winked   
at him as she left for the front door.   
  
"Hey, hey!" Ranma stammered as he ran after her. "It's not like   
that! Akane!"   
  
"There's nothing like young love, eh Saotome?" said a teary-eyed   
Soun   
  
"Growph!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kenji awoke once again, and did not know where he was. He checked his body   
and realized he was lupine at the moment. Locked in a cage. Again. He   
didn't know if wolves could groan, but he did. The thoughts before his blacking out returned to him and   
his mood went south.   
  
he thought, darkly.   
  
"Bwee?"   
  
Kenji looked to his left, to see Ryoga's pig form locked in a   
similiar cage, albeit smaller.   
  
"Woof?"   
  
"Bwee."   
  
Kenji looked where Ryoga's little piggy hoof was pointing. It   
seemed like he was in a large cabin, and a large pot was boiling on the   
stove. It was tended by an older female dressed in a raggy conservative   
dress that looked to be more homemade than store-bought. An older,   
bearded man and a younger girl sat at a table playing cards, the girl   
dressed similiarly to the woman. The man was dressed in a red, plaid   
shirt, dirty jeans, and suspenders. Across the room, Kenji spied his   
backpack and clothes, as well as Ryoga's.   
  
"Woof?"   
  
"Bwee."   
  
"Oh look, Papa!" the girl, who looked to be in her middle teens,   
exclaimed. "The doggy's awake!"   
  
"So he is, darlin'," the girl's father replied. "How's that stew   
comin', Hon'?"   
  
"Almost ready, dear," the man's wife responded. "Now the only   
question is, which do we eat first?"   
  
"Bwee!" "Woof!"   
  
"Do we have to eat them?" the little girl complained.   
  
"Now darlin, you know we don't git much chance ta eat pig or   
wolf," the father replied. "But tell ya what. We ain't gonna eat both   
tonight, so ya can have one as a pet until then."   
  
"Thanks Papa!" They turned to the cages.   
  
"Now which one do we eat?" the mother asked again.   
  
The truce went out the window, as Ryoga and Kenji pointed to   
each other.   
  
"Oh, isn't that cute!" the mother exclaimed. "They almost seem   
to understand us!"   
  
"Well, the pig is kinda small," the father reasoned. "So we   
should wait until it's bigger. You can have the piglet as a pet and   
we'll eat the dog tonight."   
  
The pig sighed in relief while the wolf sweatdropped.   
  
Ryoga thought.   
  
Kenji thought. I never imagined my life   
would end as someone's dinner. He brightened.   
  
"Well, you better slaughter the wolf now, dear," the mother said   
to her wife. "The stew needs to cook all day."   
  
The man stood up and grabbed a large club that was nearby.   
"I'll knock him out first, then cut him up." He slid a large knife into   
a holster on his belt.   
  
Kenji thought.   
  
He played innocent as the man walked over to the cage and   
fiddled with the lock on top. As the top of the cage opened, Kenji came   
alive and sprung straight up. A whack from the club missed his head, but   
struck his body and sent him sprawling across the floor.   
  
"He's got out!" the girl squealed.   
  
"I got `im!" the father yelled.   
  
Kenji dragged himself to his feet, just in time to notice the   
man approaching, club raised menacingly. The amnesiac wolf wasted no   
time, but took off running in a different direction. His mind was wild   
at the moment, trying to dodge the club and knife attacks, while also   
trying to reach the boiling pot. He'd encountered a larger version of a   
boiling pot before and, while he wasn't too keen on repeating the   
experience, he'd become someone's meal if he didn't change back.   
  
He continued to run through the house, knocking over tables,   
chairs, lamps, and the occaisonal picture on the wall. Managing a full   
circle to return to the kitchen, he leapt for the pot, the knife and   
club wielding man right behind him.   
  
The woman shrieked and back away.   
  
During all this commotion, Ryoga was not idle. He knew he'd   
become the meal if Kenji got away, so he was working on his own cage.   
He'd never used the Bakusai Tenketsu as a pig before, but he thought now   
was a good time to learn. As a result, his hoof was rapidly tapping away   
at the bars.   
  
Just as Kenji reached the pot, Ryoga hit the jackpot and the   
cage exploded; which the man happened to be near at the time. He went   
flying back into a wall as Kenji's upper half landed in the pot, tipping   
it over and dousing both himself and Ryoga with scalding water.   
  
The two boys shrieked in pain.   
  
The woman shrieked at her husband hitting the wall.   
  
The man shrieked at what he knew to be two evil spirits.   
  
The girl shrieked at two naked boys. Her hands flew to her face   
and she blushed furiously, but peeked out again to catch another   
glimpse.   
  
Ryoga and Kenji wasted little time in grabbing their clothes   
and belongings. Then Kenji followed Ryoga through the hole made by the   
lost boy, and the two almost-dinner victims fled into the forest.   
  
Back in the cabin, the girl asked, "Does this mean I don't get   
my pet?"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Several hours later, the two boys were dressed and traveling   
again in silence. Kenji had checked the amulet and proceeded in the   
direction it pointed, and Ryoga followed him for a reason neither one   
could think of at the moment.   
  
Both boys were in a sour mood.   
  
Ryoga was originially headed to Nerima to get his revenge on   
Kenji and Ranma. He had found Kenji, yet the fight hadn't ended the way   
he wanted it to. He didn't feel like another round of combat, so he   
instead settled on following the amnesiac until he could decide on a   
course of action.   
  
Kenji knew Ryoga was following him, but didn't know what to do   
either. He didn't want to fight the lost boy again, since he was pretty   
sure he'd lose. Ryoga was just too strong. He settled instead on   
assuming a fast pace in the hopes that he'd lose his follower, since he   
remembered Ranma telling him of Ryoga's bad direction sense.   
  
However, it was not to be. After several grueling hours, Kenji   
was exhausted while Ryoga's enormous endurance prevented him from   
becoming winded at all. The amnesiac reluctantly set up his tent and   
made camp, even while Ryoga did the same. They started a fire and ate in   
silence, then spent an hour staring at the orange flame between them.   
  
The silence eventually got to Kenji. "So," he began. "You're   
cursed, too?"   
  
Ryoga grunted affirmative. "Ranma's fault." He looked up. "You   
better not tell anyone!"   
  
"Agreed, provided you don't tell anyone about mine!" Kenji   
snapped back.   
  
"Agreed." Ryoga's gaze returned to the fire.   
  
Kenji looked up. "Saotome was responsible for your curse?"   
  
Ryoga nodded. "He knocked me into the spring of drowned black   
piglet."   
  
"He was kind of responsible for mine, too," Kenji admitted, his   
gaze returning to the fire. "He could've stopped the man who actually   
cursed me, but he didn't."   
  
"So, don't you want to get revenge on Ranma, too?" Ryoga asked   
darkly. "I would think you'd want to."   
  
"Oh I do," he replied. "But he's better than me right now. I   
have to get a whole lot better to beat him." He laughed bitterly. "I   
guess we have a little something in common."   
  
Ryoga nodded, but didn't speak.   
  
Something was nagging at the back of the amnesiac's mind,   
something about a piglet, but he couldn't remember what so he forced it   
out of his mind.   
  
A few moments passed again, before Ryoga broke the silence. "So   
what are you doing out here? I thought you'd be getting cozy at the   
Tendo's?"   
  
Kenji shot him a dark look. "It's none of your business, but   
I'm searching for my home."   
  
That stung Ryoga deep inside, but he didn't let it show. He   
couldn't find his home either, even if he wanted to. He'd only been   
there a few times since junior high. "I thought you couldn't remember   
anything?"   
  
The amnesiac brooded. "I can't. But I've received some   
information about where my house is, so that's where I'm going to start   
my search." He stood up and stretched. "Look, I have a long day of   
travel tomorrow, so I want to get some sleep. I'd like to know if you're   
still intent on killing me." He fixed the lost boy with a fierce gaze.   
"I like to know if I'll be waking up tomorrow."   
  
Ryoga stood up and locked gazes with Kenji. "I'm not so   
cowardly as to attack someone in their sleep. But you still owe me a   
man-to-man fight. However..." He paused. Ryoga wanted to hate this man   
in front of him, but the amnesiac's admittance of wanting to find his   
family hit too close to home for the lost boy, since they were things he   
had wanted for himself. And Kenji was cursed as well, so maybe Ryoga   
could give him a break.   
  
A little one.   
  
"However," he continued. "I'm not letting you out of my sight   
until you answer my challenge."   
  
Kenji nodded, understanding. "Fine. I want to find my family   
first, but I promise that you'll get your fight afterward."   
  
With that understanding, the two men went into their seperate   
tents to end their exhaustive and eventful day.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next day brought even more surprises.   
  
After almost a full day of travel, the duo crested a hill and   
got a good view of a mini-valley down below. There were scattered trees,   
lots of farm-like plains, and a couple of blackened and burned   
structures.   
  
Kenji inhaled sharply, then sprinted down the hill to the burnt   
structures with Ryoga running right behind. They hit the bottom of the   
hill and waded through the armpit high grass. Ryoga managed not to lose   
the amnesiac, despite Kenji's enthusiasm of possibly finding his old   
home.   
  
Wandering out onto the old road leading to the farm meant just   
a another minute of travel and then they were there. Kenji was so intent   
on his discovery and Ryoga was so intent on following him, that they   
failed to notice the two green-camouflaged figures stalking through the   
high grass behind them.   
  
Walking up to what used to be the house, Kenji set his pack   
down. Ryoga did the same. Both said nothing as Kenji entered the   
wreckage and looked around. Not much was left, just some blackened wood,   
plates, and other mundane items.   
  
"Anything look familiar?" Ryoga asked.   
  
Kenji shook his head. "I don't recognize any of it."   
  
"Maybe you should try the amulet again," Ryoga suggested. "This   
may not be it."   
  
"No, I have a strong... feeling... it is."   
  
Ryoga shrugged. "Well, I'll go back to the packs and set up   
camp. It's gonna be dark soon and you can go through everything at   
tomorrow."   
  
Kenji only nodded as Ryoga walked out back to the packs. He   
bent over to begin unpacking the tent, never seeing the two strangers   
gang up on him. He might have noticed their presence had they not been   
masking their aura's and ki signatures, or had they come close enough.   
As it was, they contented themselves to simultaneously launching two   
blow darts that struck the lost boy in his neck.   
  
Ryoga immediately jumped to his feet, scanned for his   
attackers, then snarled, "Who's there!?"   
  
Kenji was still picking through the remains when he heard Ryoga   
grunt and snarl his question. By the time he sprinted back to the packs,   
Ryoga was on one knee, mumbling something about tranquilizers. Then he   
fell over and Kenji could see the two darts sticking out of him. He bent   
down and pulled the darts out, even though it probably wouldn't have   
done any good.   
  
Looking back up, he saw two ninja dressed in green camoflauge   
emerge from the grassy fields with arrows cocked and pointed at him.   
  
One of them gestured for him to stand up, which he did. He   
might have tried to fight or run, but Ryoga was helpless right now and   
would pay the price. He held up his hands in surrender.   
  
"Who are you?" he asked. "What do you want? We have very little   
money and very little worth stealing."   
  
"We're not thieves!" one of the ninjas said in an obviously   
indignant, female voice. They came closer and Kenji could clearly see   
more features. It seemed that both were female, though the only flesh he   
could see was their eyes and the small area around them.   
  
Kenji thought.   
  
Glancing back to the other ninja, the amnesiac could see a look   
of surprise on her face, almost as if she couldn't believe who she was   
seeing. "Kenji!?" she asked.   
  
"That's my name," he offered. Maybe if he was honest, he could   
get out of this. "Soyokaze Kenji. I believe this used to be my home. Do   
you know who lived here?"   
  
"Kenji!" the same ninja said again while dropping her bow. "It   
is you!" She pulled off her mask revealing a young face and blond hair   
tied into a ponytail. She ran up to him, but stopped a few feet away to   
study him.   
  
"What are you doing!?" the other ninja demanded. The first one   
ignored her.   
  
"Oniichan!" she exclaimed and immediately glomped him. Kenji was   
stunned and could only stand there until his mind registered what she   
said.   
  
"Oniichan!?" he gasped disbelievingly. "Than you're..."   
  
She pulled away and looked at him. "Don't you recognize me? I'm   
Yuri! Your sister!"   
  
  
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------   
  
Oniichan - older brother   
Hitohuki - a blast of wind 


	3. Chapter 3

How many people will actually like fic? It was written mainly for my   
enjoyment, so if you don't like it. FINE!   
  
Contact me at: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
DISCLAIMER: I'm running out of funny things to say in the disclaimer.   
Got any ideas?   
  
  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Winds Calling   
  
Chapter 3   
  
  
  
  
"My sister!?" Kenji repeated, still somewhat stunned. "You're   
alive!" He gathered her up in his arms. "I have a sister!"   
  
Images of his sister flooded back into his mind as well as deep   
feelings of love and companionship. It seemed that the part of Quan's   
spell that bound memories of his sister, was becoming undone in the   
presence of said family member. After several minutes in the warm   
embrace, they parted.   
  
Yuri turned back to her companion. "It's okay, Neko, he's my   
brother!"   
  
"But I thought your family was dead," Neko stated, lowering her   
bow and removing her mask. This face seemed a little older by several   
years and her light blue hair dropped down past her shoulders. She   
walked up to them and studied his face. "I guess so... At any rate, we   
need to report back to Oka-sensei."   
  
Yuri turned back to Kenji. "You'll come with us, won't you?"   
  
Kenji gazed into his sister's deep gray eyes. "Hai, of course.   
I came here trying to find out where I come from, after all." Just then   
Ryoga, who Kenji had forgotten all about, groaned as he became to   
overcome the tranqs.   
  
"No way!" Neko stared in disbelief. "He should have been out for   
hours!"   
  
Kenji chuckled, in a uncommonly good mood from meeting his   
sister. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me. Better stand back, something   
tells me he's not going to be all that happy." Yuri and Neko looked at   
each other, but backed up a few steps.   
  
Ryoga continued to stir and Kenji bent down and rolled him onto   
his back. "Hey Hibiki! Snap out of it!" He resisted the urge to throw   
cold water on the fallen lost boy, knowing full well what it would do.   
Instead, he just slapped his face a few times until Ryoga's eyes snapped   
open.   
  
"Soyokaze!" he exclaimed. "We're under attack!" He sprang up   
faster than Kenji thought he was able to do and noticed the two ninja   
girls looking at him. "They're the ones! PREPARE TO DIE!" He began to   
rush into battle, but Kenji held him back. Well, more like slowing him   
down, since Ryoga was too strong for the amnesiac to fully stop.   
"What're you doin'!? They attacked and drugged me!"   
  
"Calm down, Hibiki!" Kenji soothed. "They're friends, not   
enemies. And I don't want you harming my sister!"   
  
With that revelation, Ryoga stopped. "Sister?"   
  
Kenji let go and walked over to Yuri, presenting her to Ryoga.   
"This is Yuri, my baby sister," he said, face full of pride.   
  
"Hey!" Yuri's face was indigent. "I'm only a year younger than   
you!"   
  
Kenji chuckled. "And this is Neko, her friend. Girls, this is   
my... traveling companion for the moment, Hibiki Ryoga."   
  
After introductions were made, Neko repeated her command to her   
charge that they should go back and report to their sensei. "And we   
should take Soyokaze Kenji-san back as well."   
  
"What about me?" Ryoga asked. "I'm not letting him," he   
indicated Kenji, "out of my sight."   
  
Yuri shook her head. "Outsiders aren't allowed on the Garou   
clan grounds." Her face lit up. "Unless they pass the initiation test!"   
  
"But that's only if he wanted to join the clan," Neko countered.   
"Family members are okay, but..."   
  
"Lady, I don't plan on joining any clan, but I'm not letting   
Soyokaze get away!" Ryoga was adamant.   
  
"Don't think you have a choice," Neko said darkly, fingering a   
dart. "I don't care how good you think you are, you won't last five   
minutes against the two of us. All we have to do is tranq you for a   
second, and you'd never find us again."   
  
Ryoga practically snarled at both her and Kenji.   
  
"Hey, I made a promise to you on my honor and I intend to   
fulfill it. How about you stay here and I'll come back tomorrow to let   
you know what's going on."   
  
Ryoga eyed the dart. "Looks like I don't have a choice," he   
grudgingly admitted.   
  
"Alright, see ya later." Kenji started walking to catch up with   
the two ninja girls. "And Hibiki?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Try not to wander off." Kenji smirked.   
  
Ryoga growled at the amnesiacs retreating form, then set into   
the task of setting up the tent.   
  
Kenji followed the two girls into the deep grass. Instead of   
wading through on foot, they moved by leaping over the field and Kenji   
followed suit. Soon, they cleared the field and entered a forest on the   
other side. They took to the trees and Kenji again tried his best to   
follow them as they jumped from branch to branch.   
  
"Be sure to only land on the branches we do," Neko yelled back   
at him. "The others are booby trapped."   
  
Kenji nodded. "I guess you really don't want outsiders coming   
in."   
  
Yuri dropped back and jumped with him. "Well, we survive   
because of that and because we're a small clan. Either potential enemies   
dismiss us as non-threatening, or only commit only a small force to hunt   
us." She grinned. "As far as I know, no ones been able to reach the   
grounds that the clan didn't want to."   
  
Kenji nodded again. "So, what happened to   
you on the night of the fire. I thought everyone died?"   
  
"I could ask you the same thing," his sister shot back.   
"Actually, I snuck out that night to visit some friends. When I   
returned, the house was ablaze." Yuri's voice became softer. "I was in   
pretty bad shape when Neko found me. She was a part of the same clan as   
mother and they adopted me." She turned to him. "So what happened to   
you?"   
  
The young amnesiac sighed. "My story's a bit more difficult to   
explain since I don't have any real memories of it. I was rescued by   
this old wizard guy who said he couldn't find anyone else alive in the   
house. He sent me halfway across Japan to land in the yard of the Tendo   
dojo, supposedly to protect me."   
  
He was stopped from saying more as Neko had jumped to the   
ground and motioned for the other two to follow. "Now we go in on foot   
so our own forces can see us accurately and not mistake us for enemies."   
  
A short walk later saw the trio entering the fringes of a   
hidden forest encampment. Kenji began to make out several huts and   
cabins camouflaged, hidden, among the trees and thick forest canopy.   
Several dozen people, male and female, were engaged various forms of   
combat exercises with multiple weapon types. Kenji absently whistled in   
admiration of their abilities.   
  
As they continued to follow Neko, Kenji looked over to see his   
sister absently playing with a yo-yo.   
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a shout and a faint sense of   
something moving rapidly toward them.   
  
"INCOMING!" Kenji instinctively ducked and rolled as the arrow   
came out of nowhere. Standing up again, he searched for the attacker,   
but could only see the two girls giggling at him. Neko was holding the   
arrow.   
  
"You caught it?" he asked disbelievingly.   
  
"One of my special little skills," she replied with a smile.   
"And apparently Kaneda is up to his old tricks again." Kenji looked to   
where she was pointing. A young boy was running up to them holding a   
bow. He appeared to be in his pre-teens and was dressed in a bodysuit   
with the browns and greens that most everyone else was wearing. The boy   
came up and hugged Neko. "Now, son, what have I told you about shooting   
arrows at people?"   
  
The boy scowled. "Ah, mom, I knew you'd catch it..."   
  
"That's beside the point," she admonished him. "You don't shoot   
anybody unless it's in practice and the person is expecting it, or in   
combat. Now as punishment, I want you to got through exercise routine   
#5." Kaneda sighed and ran off and Kenji was trying to reconcile the   
fact that the little kid had tried to shoot his own mother.   
  
Neko turned back to him. "That's my son, Kaneda," she said with   
pride. "He's twelve and one of the best in his age group." She frowned.   
"Though he tends to favor long-distance weapons like the short bow he   
was using." She began walking again. "Well, enough of that. Time to meet   
the sensei."   
  
Another short walk brought the trio to one of the larger   
cabins. Knocking three times, Neko gestured for the newly re-united   
siblings to wait while she went in first. After a few moments, she   
returned and ushered them in.   
  
Not knowing what to expect, Kenji entered the darkened room   
hesitantly. There were no windows, and it was lit by only a couple of   
torches hanging on the wooden pillars. A semi-circle shaped table took   
up most of the room and a dozen chairs were lined up on the other side   
of the table.   
  
"Sensei, may I present Soyokaze Kenji-san, brother to Yuri and   
son of Suliya," Neko intoned. Kenji looked but couldn't see who she was   
talking to.   
  
"Thank you, Neko," came an older woman's voice. "You may leave   
now."   
  
Neko executed a short bow. "Hai." She silently left the room.   
  
"Have a seat on the floor young Kenji," the elderly female voice   
came again.   
  
The amnesiac could almost detect where it was coming from, but   
that area of the room was covered in blackness. As he sat down on his   
shins, his sister mimicked the motion to his right.   
  
Only then did the woman come out of the darkness and walk up to   
them. She appeared to very old as she needed a cane to support her   
small, slightly hunched over frame. Her face held a few wrinkles, but   
Kenji could see kindness in the eyes and he relaxed his guard. The hair   
was various shades of white and gray, and Kenji guessed her age to be   
somewhere in the 70's.   
  
"Actually, I'm 89," she said suddenly.   
  
Kenji was taken aback. "Nani?"   
  
She smiled. "You were trying to guess how old I was?" Yuri   
laughed. "You may   
call me Oka." She paced back and forth studying him. "Well, son, what do   
we do with   
you?"   
  
"What do you mean?" Kenji asked, confused.   
  
"Well, do you want to join the clan or not?" Her smile   
disappeared.   
  
Kenji scratched his head for a minute as he hadn't really   
thought about it. His thoughts only went as far as to find his home and   
family. He looked up. "Well, the thought does intrigue me, but there is   
so much more I'd like to know before I make my decision. Is that okay?"   
He glanced over at his sister and saw the frown on her face.   
  
"You don't want to stay here?" Yuri asked.   
  
"Well, maybe I better explain my story to you as it's   
somewhat... unique, and will help you to understand my situation," he   
started. "I still have trouble believing it myself."   
  
He paused and Oka sat down, motioning for him to continue. He   
began to tell the tale of waking up in the Tendo yard, not knowing who   
he was. Meeting the Tendos and Saotomes, starting school, getting   
attacked, cursed, kidnapped, and finally being freed by his new friends.   
He brought out the amulet and got it to replay the message he had heard   
earlier in the hospital and his decision to seek out his family. When he   
was finished, there was silence.   
  
Yuri spoke up after a moment. "You mean, you don't remember me   
at all?"   
  
Kenji shook his head. "That's the strange part. Ever since I   
met you by the house, I've been slowly getting memories and feelings   
back of you. I think your presence is weakening part of the memory seal.   
But I still don't remember our parents or any of my earlier memories."   
  
What he didn't mention was that he was experiencing a flood of   
new emotions as well. Like now for some reason, he felt like giving his   
new sister a hug, but didn't want a repeat of the mushy episode by the   
house. He felt close to her, and it was like nothing he had ever felt   
since he woke up at the Tendos.   
  
"Well, why don't we do this," Oka said after a moment. "You may   
stay here for the next few days and get to know everyone and train with   
us. Then, at the end of the week, you must return to Nerima." Yuri   
stared on the old woman, but she held up her hand. "Let me finish. There   
is a reason he must return, but I cannot tell you now. However, that   
does not stop family from going with him and I would like you to do so."   
  
She took a breath, then continued. "There is another reason. I   
know Cologne of Joketsuzoku and if anybody can restore your memory, she   
would be the one. We are warriors who work in the shadows, not mystics   
or mages and we have very little magic. We silently sell our skills to   
the outside world in return for money and materials that we can't obtain   
easily by ourselves. That's how we survive and something tells me you   
would start to feel uncomfortable if you were to live with us. It was   
the same with your mother." She turned to Yuri. "I noticed it in you   
also. While outwardly you do your duty well, inside you are dying. I   
know you eager to explore the outside world and now's your chance."   
  
"But, I'll miss all of you..." she started. "You have been so   
kind to me, taking me   
in and continuing the training my mother gave me."   
  
"You'll always be a part of the clan, Yuri-san," Oka comforted   
her. "As will you Kenji-san. But this is for the best. Just know that if   
the clan has great need of you both, we will send for you."   
  
Kenji and Yuri mulled it over for a few moments, then Kenji   
spoke to his sister. "I guess it won't be so bad. Nerima's not such a   
bad place, though..." He paused. "Anyway, they actually have some   
friendly people there." He wasn't really crazy about the idea of going   
back to Nerima, but it was clear the old woman wasn't going to let him   
stay and where else did he have to go?   
  
Oka stood up and smiled. "Okay you kids, it's getting late.   
Yuri-san, why don't you show your brother to his room and get some rest.   
Tomorrow you can help him start on his training. There are several   
things that he must learn."   
  
"Hai, sensei," she said standing up and giving Oka a warm   
embrace. Yuri gestured for him to do the same and Kenji obliged.   
  
"You'll find we don't have much room for proper protocol or   
honorifics here," Oka said. "In fact, the only reason I'm called sensei   
is just a compromise so they won't call me matriarch or something." She   
laughed. "So relax and be yourself and you'll get along fine."   
  
With a last bow, Yuri led Kenji out. His sister smiled at him   
and squeezed his hand. His expectations coming in had been to bury his   
past, but instead found more than he could ever dream.   
  
  
  
  
  
An out of breath Ukyo finally caught up to the old ghoul as   
they arrived at the Nekohanten. Ranma and Ryoga were still with them,   
though she had to backtrack a few times to keep the lost boy from   
wandering off.   
  
The sky was still a sickly gray and purple color, obscured by   
many putrid looking clouds.   
  
Ukyo wondered to herself.   
  
Cologne opened the door and stepped inside the restaurant, and   
everyone else followed.   
  
"Well, why are we here?" Ukyo asked.   
  
"Why to get Mousse and Shampoo of course," Cologne answered,   
then gestured Ukyo further inside. "You better get them."   
  
Ukyo looked at the old ghoul, confused. "Why me?" When Cologne   
didn't answer, Ukyo sighed. "Oh right, this is something I have to do.   
Why? I have no idea. Oh, well." She cupped her hands around her mouth.   
"Mousse! Shampoo! You here? Come on out I need you!"   
  
Nothing.   
  
"This is boring," Ranma complained. Then his face brightened and   
he turned to Ryoga. "Hey, how about a piggy back ride!" Ryoga's look of   
depression changed to anger and he squashed Ranma. Then he went back to   
depression. All in the span of about 2 seconds.   
  
"ARGH!" Ukyo yelled. "Can't you two stop doing that for five   
minutes!?"   
  
Ranma reformed and he and Ryoga replied in unison. "Sorry."   
  
"How about that game of checkers?" Ranma asked. Ukyo stared him   
down. "Eeep! Okay, you win!"   
  
"Spatula girl need help killing?" Shampoo came out of the   
kitchen, causing Ukyo to stare in horror. Shampoo looked positively   
scary. Where as she normally held a bubbly-cute, bimbo-ish look, her   
face was locked into a feral grin. Several swords hung from her back,   
waist, legs, and everyelse that could hold a weapon, did. Ukyo had never   
seen the Amazon look so... deadly.   
  
The purple-haired Amazon pulled a long sword from her back and   
proceeded to sharpen it with a small piece of flint. "Shampoo love to   
kill!" And with that, she sliced up Ranma and Ryoga, before putting her   
sword away. Ukyo would've fainted if she hadn't already gotten used to   
the extra weirdness by now.   
  
"Now, now child, there will come a time for killing, but not   
now," Cologne admonished her. "We must get Mousse and then be off to the   
Tendo Dojo."   
  
Shampoo shrugged, pulled a duck out of somewhere, and tossed   
him on the table. Cologne pulled out a thermos and, with a little hot   
water, he grew back to normal already wearing his robes.   
  
"Aha!" he exclaimed. "Shampoo my love! You do care about me!" He   
began to pull flowers, boxes of candy, and stuffed animals out of his   
sleeves and present them to his Amazon love. Shampoo promptly pulled her   
sword out and killed him.   
  
Cologne and Ukyo sighed.   
  
"We really need to stop this," Cologne grumbled.   
  
Ukyo watched the `dead' revive and suddenly decided she had had   
enough. "Alright Cologne, you seem to know what's going on, so explain   
this. Where am I and what's going on?"   
  
Cologne shrugged. "I can only suggest a course of action, but   
maybe he can help you." She pointed with her staff and Ukyo turned to   
see a man in a brown gi and glasses enter.   
  
"Tofu-sensei!" Ukyo exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"Well, I thought there was some stuff you wanted to know about   
and that's why I came," he replied nonchanlatly.   
  
Ukyo looked confused. "But how did you.."   
  
"Know?" Tofu finished for her. "Simple, I'm part of you."   
  
The chef collapsed into a chair. "Now I know I'm losing it."   
  
Tofu sat down next to her. "Not really. Allow me to show you   
something." He pulled a TV set out of somewhere and placed it on the   
table. "Look at this," he said while flipping it on.   
  
Ukyo gasped. There she was on the screen, laying in a hospital   
bed, hooked up to a several machines. "What is this!?"   
  
Tofu looked surprise. "Well, I think it's obvious. Haven't you   
figured it out by now? That's you, right now."   
  
Ukyo could only stare at the screen in confusion, then the   
light bulb finally kicked in. "If that's really me, then I'm not me.   
Then what am I? The last thing I remember before coming here was the   
battle with the fire lord. Am I dead?"   
  
Tofu shook his head. "No, only in a coma. Whether or not you'll   
die remains to be seen. Nope, you're only locked inside your head."   
  
Understanding flooded Ukyo's mind. "OK! So I'm in my head! Then   
why are all of you here? And how do I wake up?"   
  
"We are all physical representations of parts of your   
personality," he said sweeping the restaurant's occupants with his hand.   
"For instance, I represent your knowledge and Cologne represents your   
wisdom."   
  
Ukyo glanced around the room. "So, Ranma must be my sense of   
fun, Ryoga could be depression and anger, Mousse is my love..." She was   
interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around her from behind.   
  
"Ukyo-chan, I love you too!" cried Mousse.   
  
"Get offa me!" Ukyo planted him into the ground with her   
spatula, then sighed. "And Shampoo is..."   
  
"Your martial arts skills and violent tendicies," finished Tofu.   
"Until all parts of your personality are joined back together, you'll   
never wake up."   
  
"So that's why we came here to, get Mousse and Shampoo," said   
Ukyo. "So what does Akane represent?"   
  
"You'll have to discover that on your own," Cologne interjected.   
"For there is a problem."   
  
"What's that?" Ukyo asked.   
  
"She means me!" Ukyo turned to see the newcomer in the   
restaurant doorway, and her jaw dropped when she realized who it was.   
  
It was Ukyo. 


	4. Chapter 4

By the way, if you have a story you think would fit in my timeline as a   
side story, or know of a side story you'd like to write, let me know.   
I've left some developments out that could be explored as side stories.   
It's mainly in case I run out of ideas or get bored with the main story,   
I can go back and write a few side stories.   
  
  
Let me know at: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
DISCLAIMER: I like to eat eight apples and bananas. Don't ask me where   
this came from.   
  
Onward.   
  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Winds Calling   
  
Chapter 4   
  
  
  
  
"What the hell is going on!?" Ukyo demanded. Her twin was   
standing in the doorway. Well, her almost twin. This version of her was   
wearing the blue boys school uniform and had burning red eyes, but spoke   
with the same voice.   
  
"Just another facet of you who's come with a proposal," she   
said. "Call me Ucchan and my proposal is this: Forget about rejoining   
all these losers and live here with me! Just think, you can be the   
master of this world, I can teach you. And better yet, you'd have   
Ranchan all to yourself! I know that's what you've always wanted."   
  
Ukyo sank down into her   
seat. It did sound good. After all, what did she have to look foreword   
to? Ranma was in love with Akane and would never love her that way.   
Kontasu was gone, probably dead. Who knows what happened to Kenji... She   
looked up at Cologne and Tofu.   
  
"What should I do?" she asked them.   
  
"My child, I can't advise you when you are undecided," Cologne   
replied. "But just remember this: the longer you stay here, the harder   
it will be for you to leave. Also, perhaps you should see what aspect of   
yourself Ucchan represents before deciding."   
  
Ukyo turned back to look at Ucchan, who hissed at the old   
woman. "So, who are you?"   
  
Ucchan laughed. "Why, I merely represent your best interests!"   
  
"Or more accurately, you represent that which is self-serving   
and evil," Tofu corrected her.   
  
Ucchan yawned. "Whatever. I will leave now." She turned to   
Ukyo. "Come see me when you've made up your mind." A sudden ear piercing   
scream could be heard in the distance. "Oh, and I'll be holding Akane as   
my guest. After all, she does play the damsel in distress quite well.   
Tootles!"   
  
And she was gone, leaving a very confused Ukyo behind.   
  
She sighed. "Well, now what do I do?" she thought out loud.   
  
"Let's play a game!"   
  
"Fall in love with me!"   
  
"I don't care."   
  
"Shampoo kill something!"   
  
"SHUT UP!" Ukyo screamed, unknowingly doing a demon-head that   
Soun would have been proud of. Her entourage of personality tidbits was   
effectively silenced.   
  
(But you'd be living a lie.)   
  
Ukyo looked around to find out who said that, but everyone else   
was engaged in private conversation.   
  
(Don't shut your friends out of your life.)   
  
  
  
(There are others who care about you, including me.)   
  
Ukyo wondered. Images flooded her   
mind of all those who awaited her back in the real Nerima. There weren't   
many she could call friends, but Ranma, Akane, and Konatsu all cared   
about her. I could've had more friends if I had tried. Instead I spent   
all my time and energy on Ranma, trying to win him like he was some sort   
of prize. I'm so tired of being alone. I guess that's why I allowed   
Konastu to stay with me. I knew I was losing Ranma to Akane, and I   
didn't want to be alone.   
  
(You have to care about others and open yourself up to them.   
Then you'll find you have more friends than you know what to do with.)   
  
she thought. I don't want to be alone anymore,   
and that's what I'd be if I stayed here. I want to live, to see what   
else is out there, and to see who else may be in my future. I won't find   
that out if I stay here!   
  
A determined look on her face, Ukyo stood up. "Okay, listen up   
everybody, I've made my choice. I want to return to the world of the   
living and I'm going to need your help to get it done."   
  
Cologne hopped foreword. "Good choice. Now we head to the   
center of your being to confront Ucchan."   
  
"What's my center?" she asked. "The dojo?" Cologne shook her   
head. Ukyo thought for minute. "No, my center is my restaurant!"   
  
Cologne smiled. "Bingo! Now let's get going!"   
  
"Mayhap we be of some assistance?"   
  
"Now what?" Ukyo groaned. Two more people had entered the   
Nekohanten. The Kuno's. "Let me guess, Kuno is my sense of honor and   
nobility, and Kodachi my insanity?"   
  
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"   
  
Kuno made sweeping gestures with his bokken. "Let's us venture   
forth and slay this demon that your soul may find peace."   
  
"Me too, me too!" Little miss Hinako jumped in from the kitchen   
sucking on a lollipop.   
  
"So what are you?" Ukyo asked. "My inner child?"   
  
Miss Hinako promptly drained Shampoo who was trying to kill   
her, growing into a full figured beauty. "And the woman you desire to   
be!" She winked seductively.   
  
"Allright already!" Ukyo exclaimed. "Have we got everyone now?"   
  
Cologne smiled. "Nope, we still need one more!"   
  
"What's left?" She thought for second and then a look of horror   
appeared on her face. "You don't mean...?" She didn't get a chance to   
finish as something had suddenly latched itself onto her butt.   
  
"SWEETO!"   
  
Ukyo groaned and slapped her forehead.   
  
She had no idea her brain was this screwed up.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, in the real world...   
  
"Nihao Airen!" Shampoo bounded up and glomped onto Ranma as he   
and Akane entered the Nekohantan. "Ranma want date with Shampoo?"   
  
I should've expected this, Ranma thought glumly. He risked a   
glance back and suddenly wished he hadn't. Akane was beggining to scowl   
at him. If he didn't do something quick, he was dead. Besides, he was   
never comfortable with Shampoo grabbing at him all the time anyway.   
  
"Shampoo!" he yelled. "Get offa me!" He managed to pry off a   
very upset Amazon girl, but to him, that was better than a very upset   
Akane. "We've come to talk to the old ghoul about something."   
  
Shampoo frowned. "Shampoo go get great-grandmother, but just   
because that what husband want." She bounded off to the kitchen and   
Ranma wiped the sweat off his brow. Disaster averted.   
  
"Enjoy yourself?" Akane asked cynically.   
  
"Oh come on, Akane," Ranma tried to explain. "You know I can't   
stop her from doing that!"   
  
"But you enjoy it," she retorted. Ranma tried to respond but   
Akane held up a hand. "I don't want to hear it. What you want to do is   
your business, but were here to see Cologne."   
  
"Geez, you are so..." He stopped. "Nevermind."   
  
"To what do I owe this honor, son-in-law?" She asked.   
  
He ignored Akane sticking her tongue out at him and turned to   
the old woman. "It's about the rash of burglaries and kidnappin's   
lately. Have ya heard about `em?"   
  
She hopped to a nearby table and tapped her head knowingly.   
"Yes, of course I have. Have the police any clues as to who's behind   
them?" Shampoo sat down at the table with Ranma and Akane.   
  
"Actually, we were hoping you would know," said Akane. "The   
police have said that all the victims were young and involved with some   
sort of magic and mysticism. Do you think it could be the work of the   
wizard sects?"   
  
"It's possible," she replied after a few seconds. "They were   
hurt pretty badly in that fight. They may be seeking to recoup their   
losses. They can sense magic as well as I can, so it would be easy for   
them to find it."   
  
"Then they could come here!" Ranma reasoned. "They could sense   
all your magical stuff."   
  
Cologne shook her head. "I negated the magical aura of this   
building to hide it from people looking for that sort of thing. To them,   
this is just an ordinary restaurant. However, I could lift the aura   
barrier and set a trap for them. Then we could interrogate them and find   
out what they're up to."   
  
Ranma stood up. "Great! Why don't we set it up for tonight.   
We'll stake this place out and jump `em when they break in!"   
  
Just then the phone rang and Shampoo sprung up to answer it.   
After a few seconds she returned. "It for you, Airen."   
  
Ranma went over and picked it up with Akane standing right   
behind him. "Moshi moshi!" Pause. "What is it Nabiki?" Pause. "What   
about her?" Another pause. "WHAT!?" Pause, again. "Thanks Nabiki, I'll   
let Akane know. Tell them we're on our way." He hung up.   
  
Akane looked at Ranma's paling face and knew instantly   
something was wrong. "What is it, Ranma?"   
  
"That was Nabiki," he explained. "The hospital just called and   
told them that there's somethin' wrong with Ukyo. I told her I'd go to   
the hospital right away."   
  
Akane inhaled sharply. "I'm coming with you." To which he only   
nodded.   
  
"Trouble son-in-law?" asked Cologne.   
  
"There's a problem with Ukyo," he replied. "So we'll have to do   
this plan tomorrow night."   
  
She nodded. "I understand. It'll take awhile to devise the   
necessary spells anyway. Go, take care of your friend."   
  
Ranma nodded and he and Akane rushed outside. Ranma promptly   
picked her up and begin leaping rooftops towards the hospital. Akane   
didn't complain since she knew that Ranma was faster and she would get   
left behind otherwise.   
  
Besides, she kinda liked being held in his arms.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ten minutes later, the couple were racing into the hospital and   
up to the room where Ukyo was being worked on. A nurse came out to talk   
to them.   
  
"What's going on?" Akane asked.   
  
"We're not quite sure," the nurse replied. "All we know is that   
twenty minutes ago, she began having spasms. The doctors are trying to   
sedate her now."   
  
Both teens glanced through the window where they could see   
Ukyo's body flip and twist around, while the doctors strapped her down   
to keep her from hurting herself. So caught up in the scene, Akane   
barely noticed Ranma's hand creep down and grab ahold of hers.   
  
  
  
  
  
Ukyo thought to herself. Her team of   
fractured personality pieces had stormed Okonomiyaki Ucchan's and began   
the attack. Well, at least some of her team was attacking.   
  
Happosai was still attached to her rear, despite her attempts   
to pry him off. Kodachi continued to jump around and twirl her ribbon   
aimlessly. Ryoga was sitting against the wall staring off into space,   
and Ranma was jumping around playing with Kodachi (because it was fun!).   
Ucchan was easily swatting aside all the attacks the rest of her team   
put up with her GIANT, 10 foot tall spatula.   
  
Well, Mousse's attempts couldn't really be classified as   
attacks since he was just bombarding Ucchan with flowers and candy. And   
Akane was wrapped in tape and hanging from a wall behind Ucchan.   
  
"Wheeee! This is fun!"   
  
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"   
  
"Forsooth, the blue thunder of Furinken High shall slay thee   
demon!"   
  
"I love you Ucchan! Marry me!"   
  
"Shampoo kill evil Ucchan!"   
  
"SWEETO!"   
  
"I don't care..."   
  
"Ucchan's a delinquent who needs to be punished!" *ZAP!* "Oops,   
sorry Shampoo."   
  
"This doesn't seem to be working," said Tofu who was suddenly   
beside her.   
  
"I know!" Ukyo replied, sending another wave of throwing   
spatula's at Ucchan, who blocked them easily. "Half of the group is   
being less than helpful, and Ucchan is way too strong."   
  
Cologne popped up beside her."Only you can defeat Ucchan. So,   
have you considered who you are yet?"   
  
"What do you mean? I'm Ukyo, aren't I?"   
  
Cologne shook her head. "When you figure it out, you will know   
what to do." She then bounced off to attack.   
  
She   
jumped over to Ryoga, who was looking at the floor, and banged him on   
the head with her battle spatula. When he looked up she pointed at   
Ucchan. "She did it!" The results were predictable.   
  
Ryoga's face contorted in rage and he leaped to his   
feet."UCCHAN! PREPARE TO DIE!" he yelled as he charged in, umbrella   
swinging.   
  
  
"Ranchan! I'd like to play with you! Would you come here?" Ranma bounced   
over to her. "I've got a new game to play, now here's what you do..."   
She whispered into his ear for a few seconds as a wide grin appeared on   
his face. "You understand?" He nodded. "Okay, go for it!"   
  
"Hey Akane!!!!" Ranma called. "You're such an kawaiikune tomboy,   
how could I ever like you? You're like a mule, just as strong and twice   
as ugly!" The effect was immediate. She suddenly switched from being   
scared to radiating an angry red battle aura. Ranma continued. "You're   
built like a brick, your thighs are too thick, you're hair's a cowlick,   
and your face makes me sick!"   
  
The bonds that held Akane began to melt as the red aura   
intensified. In a flash, they dissolved, leaving a very red and   
extremely angry Akane standing there, seething. "RANMA... NO... BAKA!"   
Instantly she had a huge hammer in her hands that was twice as big as   
her body and raised above her head.   
  
She also had her target.   
  
"Fire in the hole!" someone yelled, and all hit the ground.   
  
Ranma suddenly thought this wasn't fun anymore. "Eeep!" was all   
he got out before he was rendered a smear. The shockwave from the hammer   
impact tossed the restaurant's occupants around like rag dolls.   
  
When the dust settled, no one was moving.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"We're losing her!"   
  
"Her heartbeat is fluctuating!"   
  
"Where are the paddles!?"   
  
"Right here! Clear!"   
  
*ZAP*   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ukyo jerked awake. She stood up slowly and looked around the   
room. Bodies were lying everywhere. She sat   
in a chair and rested her body.   
  
"It's not over yet," said Ucchan, who was slowly standing up.   
  
"Oh come on!" Ukyo complained. "Just give up already!"   
  
Ucchan grinned and hoisted her now normal size battle spatula.   
"Why don't you take your own advice?"   
  
Ukyo picked up her own battle spat' and faced her twin. "You   
know, I was just wondering why you wanted me to stay here."   
  
"Is that so," Ucchan commented, circling.   
  
Ukyo continued to turn to face her opponent. "Yeah, and I think   
I figured it out."   
  
"Do tell." Ucchan probed Ukyo's defense with a few well-placed   
swipes.   
  
"You're supposed to be the self-serving part of me," Ukyo   
continued, parrying the attacks. "Yet staying here wouldn't be the self-   
serving thing for me to do. And someone has to return to the body, or   
else we all die." Her eyes narrowed. "You wanted me to stay so you could   
go."   
  
Ucchan lashed out in anger. "So what!? It's what you wanted in   
the past!"   
  
"I never wanted you to be control!" Ukyo yelled back. The two   
traded various blows, then locked their spatulas together.   
  
"Oh yeah? Who was it that hunted a man for ten years for   
revenge?"   
  
"I could never hurt Ranma!" Ukyo yelled.   
  
"Who was it that manipulated a friend's guilt to so that she   
could be his wife?" Ucchan asked, tone rising. She attacked again,   
forcing Ukyo back.   
  
"He made a promise to take care of me for the rest of my life!"   
Ukyo countered.   
  
"Who was it that used a certain cave to break up two people who   
obviously cared about each other?" Ucchan drove Ukyo back another step.   
  
Tears began streaming down Ukyo's face as she began to fall   
before the relentless assault. "He was my fiance! He was supposed to   
love me!"   
  
"Who was it that destroyed the house of their fiance's mother?   
Who was it that attacked and destroyed a wedding with explosives?" A   
final swing knocked the spatula out of Ukyo's hands, as she slid down   
against the wall.   
  
"I never wanted to hurt anybody!" She cired weakly. "I just   
wanted someone to love me..."   
  
Ucchan paused. "No you don't. That's why you let me have free   
reign before. You don't want anyone to love you. How could they? You   
dress like a boy and you have a boy's name. Mother died because of you.   
Father arranged a fiance to get rid of you, and that fiance then left   
you." Ucchan smirked. "Face it, you're unlovable."   
  
Ukyo sobbed into her hands. "N-no... st-stop it... please..."   
  
"Your soul is a dirty place, Ukyo. You don't deserve it. I do.   
Just stay here and you won't have to face anymore pain. I'll take care   
of everything."   
  
Ukyo thought.   
  
(Do you want to hurt people?)   
  
"No!" Ukyo cried, trying to regain her feet.   
  
"Too late," Ucchan said simply.   
  
With a quick slice, the blade of Ucchan's spatula bit deep into   
Ukyo's midsection, leaving a wide bloody gash. So weakened, Ukyo fell   
back to a sitting position against the wall as she felt her life's blood   
run out.   
  
  
  
  
  
"Her heartbeat's stopped, she's flatlining!"   
  
Akane gave Ranma's hand a reassuring squeeze, but he was too   
busy staring in the window to notice. "She'll be alright, Ranma. Ukyo's   
a fighter."   
  
"Come on, Ucchan," Ranma commanded his old friend. "Fight it!   
You can pull through this! Don't die on me!"   
  
Akane looked at Ranma's face. she   
thought. Not knowing what else to do, and before she could change her   
mind, she slipped her arms around Ranma's waist and hugged him fiercely.   
Ranma was stunned for a second before he returned the hug. "It's ok,   
Ranma, let it out..."   
  
A few more tears ran down Ranma's cheeks, even as he fought to   
hold them back. "Akane... Ucchan was my first real friend," he said   
softly. "All those years training with pop, I never had any friends. It   
may have made me a better martial artist, but I was so alone. I've   
always been alone."   
  
Akane looked up at Ranma and saw the tears. This was a side of   
him she rarely saw. All the macho arrogance, the insults; she never   
suspected that he felt so alone.   
  
she thought silently.   
  
"Ranma..." she said quietly, getting his attention. "You'll...   
you'll never alone, because... well... I'll be here for you..."   
  
Ranma looked surprised. "Akane? Th-thanks."   
  
She nodded and they both looked back through the window.   
  
"Try the paddles again!"   
  
"Ready? Clear!"   
  
*ZAP!*   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ukyo jerked again. she realized with sudden   
clarity.   
  
(You're not alone.)   
  
  
  
(You'll only die if you give up.)   
  
"SHUT UP!" Ucchan screamed. Ukyo looked up to see Ucchan   
covering her ears. "I've won! Go away!"   
  
"No."   
  
Ukyo gasped. Someone was standing in the doorway. "Kenji..."   
she coughed out.   
  
He walked over to her, but as he passed Ucchan, she swung at   
him. Kenji caught the spatula and twisted it out of her grip, then flung   
it away. "You can't kill me, Ucchan. I'll always exist, as long as Ukyo   
wants me to." He stood over the fallen form of Ukyo. "It's time to get   
up and understand." He grabbed her arms and guided her up until she was   
standing.   
  
"Wh-who are you?" she asked quietly.   
  
He smiled. "I am that which becomes stronger in the most dire   
circumstances. I am your hope. Now, it's time for you to understand." He   
then took a step forward, embraced Ukyo, and disappeared within her.   
  
Ukyo gasped, and understood.   
  
"NO!" Ucchan yelled. "Stop it!"   
  
Ukyo continued. "I have been long absent from Ukyo, only   
showing myself in small ways. Like the time I let Konatsu stay. Ukyo may   
have made mistakes in the past, but she cannot make amends if I am   
locked down here." The wound across her belly disappeared.   
  
"No one wants you!" Ucchan scream. "You're unlovable!"   
  
"That will be true, only if Ukyo believes it. It is time to give   
her another choice."   
  
Now it was Ucchan's turn for tears. "There are no other   
choices!"   
  
But Ukyo could no longer hear her. "It is time to become one   
again. Come sister." She reached out and grabbed Ucchan's arms.   
  
"I don't want to go, don't want to die..." Ucchan said quietly,   
sobbing. But she didn't resist.   
  
"You will still live, but as part of the whole," Ukyo told her.   
Then, she pulled her into an embrace, and they merged.   
  
Looking around, everyone else was standing up and looking at   
her. Cologne stepped foreword. "Very good child. You have accepted that   
part of yourself that is most difficult." She stood in front of Ukyo,   
who kneeled down to look the old woman in the eyes. "We all have evil   
inside us, but we also have good in us as well. Life can be enjoyable,   
as long as the good keeps the evil in check." Ulyo embraced the old   
woman and they merged.   
  
Tofu was next. "Cologne is right. The darkness is in all of us,   
but we don't have to listen to it. All you need to say is, `I recognize   
my selfish desires, but I won't listen to them today.' That's all it   
takes." Tofu merged with her in the same manner as Cologne..   
  
Something glomped onto her chest. "SWEETO!" Happosai exclaimed.   
Then his face became serious. "Hey kiddo, you may not like me much, but   
don't be afraid of your sexuality. And above all," he grinned and groped   
her chest, "Don't try to hide these!" He faded into her.   
  
One by one, they all merged with her.   
  
Ryoga. "Depression and anger are destructive, remember that."   
  
Kodachi. "OHOHOHOHOHOHO! Everyone needs to be a little crazy to   
survive in this world!"   
  
Hinako. "Listen to your inner child, and do not forsake your   
womanhood."   
  
Kuno. "Endeavor to cling to the righteous path."   
  
Mousse. "There are many different forms of love, do not be   
blind to them."   
  
Shampoo. "Martial arts are for defending the weak and those you   
care about. You have more power than you think." An image flashed   
through her mind and Ukyo filed it away for further study.   
  
Only two were left, Ranma and Akane.   
  
"I guess this is what it always comes down to, ne?" Ukyo said, a   
slight grin on her face.   
  
Ranma walked up to her. "Never, ever lose your sense of humor.   
Life is fun, so enjoy it!" And then he kissed her, and merged once more.   
  
"Akane..." Ukyo said to the last one. "I know who you are now.   
You're my conscience. That's why I had such trouble trying to hate you   
in the past. I didn't want to be reminded of all the dirty things I've   
done. Subconsciously, I knew if you died, then I was lost as well."   
  
Akane nodded and walked up to her, embracing her. "If you are   
ever in doubt, listen to me. I, and the rest of your friends, will be   
there to guide you."   
  
Then Ukyo was alone. She looked up as the restaurant began to   
fade away. "It's time, Ukyo," she said, smiling.   
  
"It's time to wake up!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Clear!"   
  
*ZAP*   
  
"We've got a heartbeat!"   
  
"We've got her!"   
  
"Vital signs are stabilizing."   
  
"She's going to be alright."   
  
Ranma and Akane continued their hug, two lonely souls finding   
solace in each other in a time of need. 


	5. Chapter 5

Contact me at: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
DISCLAIMER: I tried to claim these characters as my own, but Takahashi   
had Ranma challenge me. So, we fought in an Anything-Goes-Martial-Arts   
Toenail clipping contest. I won the first time, but Ranma trained,   
learned a new technique and beat me on the rematch. Don't ask what the   
new technique was.   
  
Enjoy.   
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Winds Calling   
  
Chapter 5   
  
  
  
  
Ukyo gradually became aware of her surroundings. She was on her   
back in a soft bed and someone was holding her hand.   
  
"She moved!"   
  
Ukyo slowly opened her eyes. "Ranchan?" she asked hoarsely.   
  
Her hand was squeezed gently. "I'm here, Ucchan," replied   
Ranma. "And Akane's here, too."   
  
She felt someone else take her other hand, and it was Akane's   
voice that spoke. "How're you feeling?"   
  
Ukyo groaned. "Like I've been through a blender." She looked   
around, fear pangs in her gut. "Where's Kenji-san? Did you save him?"   
  
Ranma nodded. "He went on a trip to find his past. We have a   
week off of school, so hopefully he'll be back next week."   
  
Ukyo thought, despairingly.   
  
"Nabiki has been keeping Ucchan's up," Akane said, changing the   
subject. "She hired a few people to keep it running, and all of us have   
chipped in to help at one time or another."   
  
Ukyo blinked. "How long have I been out of action?"   
  
Ranma and Akane looked at each other, then Akane said to her,   
"This may be a shock, but you've been in a coma for the past nine days."   
  
Ukyo sighed. "I guess it can't   
be helped." A few moments of silence passed.   
  
"Ucchan, you've been through a lot," Ranma said finally. "You   
should get some rest. We'll talk more later, okay?"   
  
"Sure Ranchan, and thanks. You too, Akane-chan." She closed her   
eyes as the couple left the room. For the first time in a long while,   
she could finally have a nice, long, and most important, peaceful rest,   
and she was looking forward to it.   
  
  
  
  
  
After the hospital, the two visitors slowly walked back home in   
silence. Ranma was on the fence as usual, while Akane kept to the   
street. Both were lost in their own thoughts.   
  
Eventually, Akane looked up at Ranma. "What are you thinking   
about, Ranma?"   
  
Ranma looked startled. "Uh, nothing."   
  
"Ranma, you know you don't have a very good poker face." Her   
expression softened. "Tell me about it? Please?"   
  
He sighed, but leapt down to the ground, next to her. "I was   
just thinkin', in all our adventures, we've never gotten hurt as bad   
that last time when we went to save Kenji." He stopped, seemingly   
searching for words. "I mean, Ukyo was in a coma! At Jusendo you..." He   
cut off.   
  
"I almost died, I know," Akane said softly, finishing the   
thought that he couldn't. She tried to smile at him. "But you saved me."   
  
"But I almost didn't," Ranma said glumly. "And Ucchan almost   
died. It just seems that these things are gettin' more and more   
dangerous since Mt. Phoenix. And," he continued in a quieter voice,   
"I... I just don't know what to do about it."   
  
Akane's eyes widened in realization. She stopped,   
and he stopped when he realized she was no longer beside him.   
  
"Ranma, I realized awhile ago that this is the way your life   
is," she began slowly. "You help people. You've helped me many times.   
You helped Kodachi when Asuka the white Lily showed up. You helped   
Shampoo against Pink and Link. You helped Ukyo out against that octopus   
ball guy, and when she was too sick to run her restaurant." She took a   
step closer to him. "And you did it all without a second thought,   
without asking what was in it for you." She grinned. "You even helped   
Pantyhose Taro out when Rouge showed up, and then helped her against   
him."   
  
Ranma laughed nervously, putting a hand behind his head. "Yeah,   
I guess so." HIs mood brightened a little, he gazed back at her. "But   
you're forgettin' somethin', Akane. You helped too, all those times.   
I... couldn't have beat Taro that first time without you. I would've   
died in Pink and Link's jungle if you hadn't come. In fact, you're the   
one who told me to go on that date with Kodachi, too." He shuddered   
slightly at the memory.   
  
They resumed walking again.   
  
"I guess we have that in common," Akane said after a few minutes   
of silence. "We like to help people. I mean, look at Kenji-san. He   
didn't really want our help, but we gave it to him anyway."   
  
"Yeah, I guess so," he said at last. There was several more   
minutes of silence,while Ranma thought over something else on his mind.   
"Uh, Akane?"   
  
She looked up. "Yes?"   
  
Ranma nervously scratched the back of his head. "Uh, I just   
wanna apologize, you know, for what happened back there..."   
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.   
  
"You know, I kinda held your hand, the hug... You probably   
didn't like it and I shouldn't have take advantage of you like that..."   
  
Akane smiled. "Ranma,   
that's okay. I mean you concerned about Ukyo and all. So really it's   
okay."   
  
Ranma was surprised. "Really? You're not upset or   
anything?"   
  
Akane sighed. "No baka. Never be upset for wanting to hug me."   
Her face was down, so Ranma couldn't see it, but he swore her ears   
couldn't get any redder. "It's just that, what you said about being   
alone, well, I kinda know how that goes. I felt that way ever since mama   
died." She continued in a quieter tone. "Besides, I don't mind holding   
your hand if it makes you feel better."   
  
Ranma blinked a couple of times. "Really?" She nodded. He hesitantly moved his hand out   
partway and Akane, sensing his hand motions, moved hers halfway and they   
met in the middle.   
  
They walked the rest of the way in silence, just holding hands.   
Each afraid of saying or doing anything for fear of ruining the moment.   
So intent on what they were doing that they didn't think to let go when   
they entered the dojo grounds.   
  
BIG mistake.   
  
"Oh happy day!" Soun cried out, disrupting their thoughts. "My   
little baby and her fiance are finally acknowledging their feelings!"   
  
"It's about time," Nabiki said dryly, but with a smile.   
  
"Oh my, isn't it wonderful, Saotome-obasama?" A happy Kasumi   
said to Nodoka.   
  
"Daaaaad, it's nothing, really," Akane tried to protest.   
  
Ranma quickly yanked his hand out of Akane's. "Oh come on,   
knock it off!"   
  
The two fathers rushed behind their respective offspring and   
ushered them into the house until everyone was seated around the table.   
  
"Now now boy, I think we've put off the wedding long enough,"   
Genma stated to his son. "Since you and Akane obviously have feelings   
for each other, it's time to plan another wedding and unite our   
families!" Nodoka stood back and watched.   
  
"How about a week from now, eh Saotome?" Soun put forth between   
sobs.   
  
The intense emotions the couple had been experiencing in the   
past hour, erupted in the wrong way.   
  
"Would you cut it out!" Ranma yelled. "I already told you, I   
ain't gettin' married!"   
  
Akane felt a stab of pain in her heart, but hid it. Instead,   
she shot to her feet, fuming. "Well, who wants to marry a sex-changing   
pervert like you!?" She yelled back while punching him into a wall.   
  
"Did I mention violent? You're always hittin' for no reason and   
you always assume things are my fault!"   
  
"Well you're a jerk who doesn't care a thing about me, yet goes   
after every other girl you come across!"   
  
"Enough!"   
  
The voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard and turned their   
attention towards Nodoka.   
  
"This engagement between the Saotome and Tendo clans was made   
as a matter of giri, family honor," she intoned in a neutral voice.   
"However, honor should never come at the price of personal happiness."   
She turned towards Genma and Soun. "As heads of these two clans, you   
have the power to annul this engagement. Since it is what our children   
seem to want, I suggest you think carefully about it."   
  
She turned back towards Ranma and Akane. "You will both think   
about it for a week. At the end of that time, if you both decide against   
the engagement, I'm sure your fathers' will love you enough to think of   
your happiness first, and annul the engagement. It will never bother you   
again and Ranma will leave to live with his own family. Do you   
understand?"   
  
Stunned, Ranma and Akane could only nod. When Genma and Soun   
failed to respond, Nodoka fingered the katana. They quickly agreed as   
well.   
  
"Now, a lot has happened today already, so I think we should all   
get some rest," she continued. "Genma and Ranma, since our house has   
recently been rebuilt, you will join me there. I think you need some   
time apart from Akane and she needs some time away from you. We have   
also been a burden on the Tendos for too long. If this mess isn't   
resolved in a week's time, Ranma will also attend a different school.   
Now, pack your belongings and we shall go."   
  
Akane, having regained some of her senses, ran upstairs to her   
room and shut the door while Genma and Ranma packed.   
She thought to herself as she cried over her bed.   
  
She stopped and thought a second. She let her tears soak into her pillow.   
  
In his room, Ranma slowly packed his few belongings things. He   
could barely hear Akane crying in her room.   
  
He finished packing, then joined his parents at the door.   
Silently, the Saotome family walked off to their new home. Akane watched   
them go from her window, then returned to crying on her bed. She almost   
didn't hear her door opening, nor the sounds of feet approaching her.   
  
"Go away!" she cried.   
  
"Akane-chan," came the voice of Kasumi. "I think we need to   
talk." She sat down on the bed and pulled her non-resisting sister into   
her lap. She made soothing noises as she rocked the younger girl slowly.   
  
Akane's sobs slowly subsided. "Why? Why does he have to be such   
a jerk! Just when everything was going well..."   
  
"He's scared and stubborn," Kasumi answered. "Just like you."   
  
Akane looked up. "I am nothing like..." the words died on her   
lips, as the truth of her older sister's statement hit home. "I-I guess   
I was partly at fault, too."   
  
Kasumi smiled. "Part of the fault is also our father's. They   
try too hard to push you two together."   
  
"So what do I do?" she asked in despair, too emotionally drained   
to deny anything. "Everytime we seem to make progress, something happens   
to drive us apart again. I know he loves me, but why won't he say it?"   
  
Her sister's answer was simple. "Have you told him you love   
him?" Akane looked up questionably. "Tell him how you feel and allow him   
to do the same. Control your temper, even if he accidentally insults   
you. You should know by now that he is not very good with words. It   
comes from being raised by Saotome-ojisan."   
  
Akane sighed. "I-I guess you're right, as usual. But I can   
barely admit to myself how I feel. How can I tell him?"   
  
"You'll find a way. If you really love him, than you have to   
take that chance."   
  
Akane said nothing, not having the strength or the will to   
object to that. She soon fell asleep from the exhaustion and Kasumi   
placed her down onto her bed.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Cologne finished her spell modifications and set the trap. The   
magic aura dampener around the Nekohanten was weakened, so as to let an   
outside magic seeker know that there was magic stuff inside.   
  
Magical warning symbols were drawn in the restuarant's three   
occupied rooms. If someone did come inside, Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse   
would immediately know about it. They went to bed that night expecting   
to be broken into right away, but that was not to be. Nor the next night   
after.   
  
It wasn't until Thursday night, that the bait was taken.   
  
Three cloaked figures pried open a window and let themselves   
in. As soon as the first one was inside, the magical symbols inside the   
occupied bedchambers flashed brightly, awakening the three guardians.   
Meeting in the upstairs hallway, they listened to the sounds of people   
rummaging through their stuff, downstairs. They could also hear hushed   
whispers.   
  
"Hey, I can't get this door open!" one whispered.   
  
"Let me try," another replied. Silence for a few seconds. "It's   
got some kind of magical protection; let's try to break it."   
  
Cologne turned to the two other Amazons and whispered, "Looks   
like they're trying to get the storeroom open, just like I thought. You   
two go out the window and come in through the back. I'll block the   
front."   
  
Shampoo and Mousse nodded and left. Cologne stealthily made her   
way downstairs and into the dining room. Even in the darkness, she could   
make out the magical auras of three people in the kitchen. She hopped up   
to the counter between the dining room and kitchen and cleared her   
throat, getting their attention.   
  
"My my, what's the world coming to when a little old lady can't   
even feel safe and secure in her own home," Cologne said innocently.   
  
"It's just an old woman," one of them said, sneering. "I'll take   
care of her, you two continue to work on the door."   
  
Cologne simply smiled and hopped on her staff back into the   
dining room. The robed wizard came after her, trying to grab her, but   
the old matriarch slipped out of his grasp. She jumped over him and   
poked the sleep point on the back of his neck, sending him to   
slumberland.   
  
"That's what you get for underestimating your opponent," she   
said sweetly.   
  
As soon as that was done, Shampoo and Mousse came through the   
back door and attacked. Mousse wrapped his chains around one of the   
figures and Shampoo leapt foreword swinging a bonbori in her right hand   
(her left was still in a cast). An impact on the head knocked out her   
target.   
  
In a matter of a few seconds, the trap had been sprung and   
executed flawlessly. Soon, all three were tied up and incapacitated.   
  
Cologne bounced up to the one still conscious, the one wrapped   
in chains. "Now for a little friendly interrogation," she announced   
gleefully.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You're too slow, `niichan!" Yuri taunted, dodging a sweeping   
kick from her brother.   
  
Today, they were sparring against each other to test the skills   
that Kenji had picked up over the past few days. It was Friday, and   
Kenji knew he'd have to head back soon, so his mind wasn't entirely on   
the task at hand. Maybe that's why he didn't see the return punch   
coming.   
  
Yuri jumped over his outstretched leg and delivered the one-two   
combo to Kenji's chest, causing him to back up out of range. She   
followed up her advantage with a cartwheel kick and roundhouse to his   
face, dropping him onto his back. Before she could finish it, Kenji   
rolled away and was back on his feet.   
  
Kenji grinned. "Not bad imouto-chan, but let me show you how   
it's done!"   
  
He moved in to attack, taking the kick to his lower torso and   
holding onto her leg. He twisted to the side and Yuri had no choice but   
to hop along or fall. Kenji took the opportunity to lance his foot up   
and deliver a 3-kick combo to her face, then drop and sweep her   
remaining leg out. As she fell, Kenji released the leg and grabbed her   
arms, twisting to the side as he did and tossing her out of the ring. He   
walked over to his sister and held out his hand to help her up.   
  
"Guess I win again!" He continued to grin at her.   
  
She took it and helped herself up. "You may be able to beat me   
in hand-to-hand, but I still hold the edge in weapons combat."   
  
Kenji winced. It was true, much to his chagrin, that his sister   
had more skill with weapons. She was well-versed in many weapons,   
particularly the bow, katana, wakizashu, a pair of sai, and even   
shuriken.   
  
Her real strength was with the yo-yo however, and she was quite   
proud of the fact that she was the only one in the clan who could use   
the weapon well. The first Kenji went up against it, he considered it   
merely a kid's toy. But when she began to whip it around, disarming him   
and tying him up with seconds, he thought better of it.   
  
Kenji wasn't totally without weapon skill. He was fairly good   
with a wakizashu and now wore one with a 14" blade on his back above his   
waist. He also carried an expandable bo staff on his waist belt. With a   
quick press on the right part, it went from one foot in length to five   
He actually preferred the bo since it was generally non-lethal. Though   
he carried a few shuriken, he wasn't all that good with them. His real   
strength was his wind ki techniques which he was trying to teach his   
sister.   
  
"Ready to work on your training now?" he asked her as they   
vacated the ring to the next combatants.   
  
She nodded vigorously. "Of course! Except, I don't know if I'll   
ever be able to do them as well as you."   
  
"Just keep trying," he assured her. "After all, I only got them   
to work under stressful situations until I learned enough to do them   
normally. Besides, you have other uses for father's wind gift."   
  
He was speaking of her speed and jumping ability. Without much   
thought, she could make impossibly high jumps utilizing a wind boost.   
She could also lower the wind resistance around her body allowing her to   
run quite fast when she wanted to. Kenji was only beginning to adapt   
those techniques, and that was another area she was better at then him.   
  
"Know what I miss though?" She asked him.   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"When dad used to take us flying at night." Kenji's face dropped   
when she mentioned their father and Yuri noted her brother's look. "Oh,   
I'm sorry, Kenji. You still don't remember mom and dad."   
  
Kenji sighed. "It's okay. But what do you mean flights?"   
  
"Well, since he was one of those wind elemental guys, I guess he   
knew enough wind manipulation to fly. He used to take us out on flights   
at night, though Mom didn't think it was a good idea. She wanted us to   
live normal lives as martial artists."   
  
They shared a good laugh as they arrived at the area where they   
practiced their ki techniques. The clan didn't use ki techniques much,   
except for attaining silence while moving, near-invisibility in shadows,   
and enhancing punches, kicks, and jumps. They certainly didn't use any   
projectile attacks, instead relying on weapons.   
  
When he asked Oka about it, she told them it was because those   
kind of techniques were too flashy and/or too loud. Clan Garou's   
philosophy held silence and undetectability in high esteem, and to that   
end, weapons were quieter and less visible when need be. Still, Kenji   
had seen the effects of Ranma's techniques and he had to admit that they   
came in handy. Since the siblings would be leaving, Oka allowed them to   
train their wind ki techniques.   
  
Kenji stood the block of wood up on the stump and backed away.   
"Okay Yuri, give it a try. Remember, mental strength over physical.   
Generate your desire to protect someone or something, and see your   
target in your mind's eye."   
  
Yuri stood silent for a few seconds concentrating, eyes closed.   
Then, in one smooth motion she snapped her eyes open and thrust out her   
arm, palm foreword.   
  
"Hitohuki!" The blast was almost invisible to the eye, but the   
results were easily seen. The block of wood flew off the stump and hit   
the tree behind it. "Oh pooh."   
  
"Not bad," he appraised her while setting it back up again. This   
time he put two blocks up in two different places. "For someone who   
started it a few days ago. Now watch." Kenji concentrated on the block   
of wood, gathering his ki. He thrust out his hand.   
  
"Hitohuki!" There was a noticeable difference in the strength   
of this one versus Yuri's previous attempt. The block of wood flew off   
the stump a whole lot faster and broke into two pieces when it hit the   
tree behind it. "Okay, like that. Try to gather your ki using the   
techniques I showed you earlier."   
  
Yuri stood still for a second, then, with a sudden smirk on her   
face whipped out her hand. This time, there was clearly an object being   
thrown. It was almost invisible since it was all gray and moving fast.   
The object struck the second block of wood, sliced it in half and   
returned to her hand.   
  
Kenji groaned. "Yuri! You were supposed to use a ki technique,   
not your bladed yo-yo!"   
  
Yuri laughed and Kenji shook his head. They practiced some more   
to refine their techniques, and Kenji looked on with pride as his   
sister's blast became stronger with each   
try. Yuri called it quits after a half-an-hour, when she started to   
become tired. Kenji followed her as they went to get cleaned up.   
  
"You know, I was thinking, `niichan," Yuri started. "About your   
amulet."   
  
Kenji wiped his forehead. "Yeah, what about it?"   
  
"How did it know to lead you here?"   
  
He cocked his head. "I don't really know, just some kinda   
homing magic I guess."   
  
"But what exactly did it home in on?"   
  
"The house?"   
  
Yuri shook her head. "I don't think so, but I'd like to try an   
experiment."   
  
"What's that?" he asked.   
  
"Activate it and let's follow it to the exact spot it goes to.   
Maybe we can find exactly what the homing point is."   
  
He thought for a moment. "I suppose I can do that, though I   
don't see why."   
  
Yuri smiled. "Oh come on `niichan, humor me!"   
  
Kenji nodded. He couldn't really refuse his sister anything.   
And it didn't have anything to do with his memories, so he thought it   
was just a genetic `brother' thing. It still unnerved him, but he was   
getting more used to it now.   
  
He retrieved the amulet from his room and the two obtained   
permission to leave for a short while. They headed back to the house   
where Ryoga was still camped. They greeted each other, then followed   
Kenji after Yuri explained her experiment. He activated the amulet again   
and went on the direction it pointed. Eventually, they ended up at a   
tree that was halfway between the barn and the house.   
  
"So it's the tree?" Ryoga asked.   
  
"I don't think so," Kenji replied. Walking around the tree, the   
amulet's directional   
arrow disappeared and the ball began to glow bright blue. A shaft of   
blue light streaked   
downward until it entered the ground. "I think something's here."   
  
"What is it?" Yuri asked excitedly.   
  
"I don't know," the amnesiac admitted. "But I guess we have some   
digging ahead of us if we want to find out."   
  
Ryoga laughed. "Why don't you leave this to me, Soyokaze. Back   
up." The siblings gave the lost boy a strange look, but did as he asked.   
  
The two ninja-trainees watched in fascination as Ryoga touched   
the dirt at his feet with a single finger, and the ground exploded. When   
the debris cleared, everyone moved forward again to check the crater.   
  
"That was incredible!" Yuri exclaimed. "Can you teach me to do   
that?"   
  
The lost boy grinned. "Sure! I just have to slam a boulder into   
you several dozen times."   
  
Yuri turned a shade of green, horror appearing on her face.   
"Nevermind."   
  
The attention returned to the bottom of the crater, where a   
half-submerged, four foot by four foot, steel box was visible. Working   
together, they hauled it up and opened it. Inside were several items,   
but on top was a letter addressed to both Kenji and Yuri.   
  
Nodding to his sister, Kenji took the letter and began to read:   
  
  
Dear Kenji and Yuri,   
  
If you're reading this, then then something has happened to us. We may   
very well be dead. You either found this box by luck, or Quan gave you   
an amulet that led you here. Inside are various items we planned to give   
you when you both came of age. They were ours to safeguard and use, so   
now they are yours.   
  
Know that we loved you both very much, and always will. Do not mourn us,   
but instead look to the future and make a place in this world for   
yourselves. We will be proud of you no matter you choose to do.   
  
One last note. We discovered someone trying to tamper with your lives,   
but we were able to protect you from it. We never found out who was   
responsible, so be on your guard. We believe you should be free to do as   
you choose, not held by fate.   
  
Take care, and may the spirits of our ancestors watch over you both.   
  
Love,   
Soyokaze Taynor and Sulyia   
  
  
  
Kenji finished reading and looked up at his sister, who was on   
the verge of tears. He wanted to say something to her, but no words   
presented themselves. This time, he gave into his new feelings and   
pulled her into a one-armed hug.   
  
Ryoga, sensing a private moment, walked away. He didn't know   
what to think. He inwardly shivered at that thought, and   
partially realized what the two people behind him were going through.   
  
  
For Kenji, it was finally proof that his parents really were   
dead. He   
rubbed his sister's back, absently. His   
gaze hardened.   
Looking down at her, he added,   
  
Yuri tried to dry up her tears. For two weeks after the   
fire, she had cried off and on. For all she knew, she had lost her   
family. If it wasn't for Neko, she doubted that she would've come around   
and begun to live again at all. Still, it took two weeks to get her out   
of her depression and involve her in clan life.   
  
"Let's call it a night, imouto-chan," Kenji offered. "We'll go   
through all of this tomorrow." He indicated the box.   
  
Yuri only nodded, and together they closed the box. Standing   
up, Kenji found Ryoga sitting back by the fire at his campsite. The   
amnesiac informed him that they were going to head back to the clan   
grounds, and that the siblings would see him again tomorrow.   
  
Ryoga looked up. "Oh, I've got something to tell you. Neko led   
me to a phone and I called the dojo to see how things were going." Kenji   
frowned, but nodded. "I've good news and bad news. The good news is:   
Ukyo-san is awake and feeling fine. She got out of the hospital   
yesterday."   
  
Kenji smiled, a wonderful and relieved feeling washing through   
him. "That's good to hear."   
  
Yuri sensed the change in her brother's mood, and took   
advantage of it to elbow him. "Why didn't you tell me you had a   
girlfriend?"   
  
"She's not my girlfriend!" Kenji protested. "Just a friend. She   
got hurt bad saving me and I was worried about her. Besides what about   
your boyfriend?"   
  
Yuri steamed. "I don't have a boyfriend and I don't want one!   
Himoshi just can't take a hint!" Kenji chuckled. Himoshi was one of the   
boys from the nearby village, and had received numerous injuries from   
his attempts to date Yuri, from the ninja girl herself.   
  
He turned back to Ryoga. "So, what's the bad news?"   
  
"It appears the elemental wizard sects are back," he said   
grimly. 


	6. Chapter 6

If you've read this far, you're either extremely bored or you find my   
work mildy interesting. I really hope its the latter. Really.   
  
Drop me a line: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
DISCLAIMER: I have to say these characters aren't mine or else Akane   
will force feed   
me her cooking.   
"WRITER NO BAKA!"   
*WHAM*   
"Ite..."   
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Winds Calling   
  
Chapter 6   
  
  
  
  
Ukyo opened the door of her restaurant and walked inside. With   
her release from the hospital, she was anxious to open it back up and   
start making the best okonomiyaki in Japan once again.   
  
She closed the door and flicked on the lights, looking around.   
The restuarant looked like she felt.   
  
Empty.   
  
Konatsu was gone and now she really felt alone. She never   
realized how lonely it felt to come back to an empty home. She was unwilling to finish that line of thought.   
  
She walked across the floor to the door to her room. Hesitating   
a second, she opened the door and stepped inside. Everything was just   
like she remembered it. I want someone to share this with. I want a   
real family. But she had no idea on how to do that.   
  
Walking over to her dresser, she plopped her duffel bag down   
and knelt on the floor. Grabbing ahold of the bottom drawer, she   
mustered her courage and pulled it all the way out.   
  
There was something else that was bugging her, ever since she   
got out of the hospital. There were two times lately, where she had   
failed in battle and been injured. The first was when Kenji had been   
kidnapped, and again when facing the fire lord. She knew her skills were   
falling behind in the increasing dangers that seeemed to spring up   
around Ranma. If she wanted to continue to be a part of his life and   
live in this town, she had to find a way to get stronger.   
  
And while she was in her coma, she had a flash of insight; and   
remembered.   
  
Seven years ago she had gone to visit her grandpa, hopefully to   
get some provisions and some idea on where to look for the fiance who   
abandoned her. Instead, her grandfather insisted that she train with   
him. Knowing that it would help when she finally caught up to Ranma, she   
agreed.   
  
When it was time for her to go, her grandfather gave her a   
couple of scrolls and told her to take good care of them. He also told   
her they contained some of the deepest secrets of their family's martial   
art, and to never use them recklessly. Ukyo had agreed and stashed them   
somewhere safe, then forgot about them.   
  
Until now.   
  
Turning over the drawer, she slid out the false panel and the   
scrolls fell out. Her hands shaking nervously, she picked up the   
scrolls.   
  
"Grandfather said there was more to our family's martial art   
than making okonomiyaki," she said softly to herself. "I think it's time   
I discovered what that was."   
  
She unrolled the scroll and began to read.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
After informing Oka about their plans, Kenji, Yuri, and Ryoga   
left for Nerima first thing Saturday morning. They were given access to   
their mother's account, which contained a little over a million yen, as   
their inheritance. Endeavering to get back as soon as possible, they   
withdrew some to buy 3 train tickets. The trio packed their belongings   
and said their good-byes.   
  
Now, on the train, Kenji sat staring out the window, watching   
the scenery flow by. He didn't think the elemental sects would return to   
bug them, since by Ranma's account, they had been trashed and the fire   
lord was gone. I wonder what really happened after I blacked out up on   
Mt. Hago. It's just another thing I can't remember. And just the   
thought of what the Fire Lord did to Ukyo, made him invoke a silent   
promise to himself that the sects would pay dearly.   
  
He also felt guilty over the fact that the mages were there   
because of him in the first place. So it was his responsibility to   
neutralize them as a threat.   
  
"Gotta admit, I'm not used to seeing you like this," his   
sister's voice broke him out of his reverie.   
  
He turned his head to look at her and frowned. "What do you   
mean?"   
  
"I mean, you've changed since that night," she said. He knew   
there was only one particular night she would be referrring to: the   
night of the fire. "You're so quiet and calm now, when you used to be   
quite lively, active, and..." She paused and smiled.   
  
Kenji cocked his head. "And what?"   
  
"A practical joker!"   
  
"Really?" He chuckled. "Well, having memories and experiences   
help to influence a personality. What was I like before?"   
  
She was silent a second, as if pondering whether or not to tell   
him. "Well, you always used to pull pranks and jokes on all of us." She   
grinned. "I remember one time you got mad at mom when she beat you in a   
sparring session. So you rigged up a rope trap on a tree and got mom to   
chase you. She didn't even see it coming. When me and dad came out to   
see what the scream was about, we saw you laughing on the ground while   
mom hung upside down from the tree with a whipped cream pie in her face.   
It was one of the few times you actually outsmarted and got the better   
of her." Yuri ended her narrative with laughter and Kenji joined her.   
"But you were always like that: using joy buzzers, water pails on top of   
open doors, and getting into various other mischief."   
  
When they calmed down a bit he said, "I can't believe I did   
something like that!" Then his gaze turned introspective. "I just wish I   
could remember them! I hate this stupid memory seal." Kenji gave his sis   
a squeeze, unwittingly getting more comfortable at showing affection for   
his sister. "You're lucky in that you can keep them alive in your   
memories." He tussled her blond hair. "Are you doin' okay?"   
  
She let go and nodded. "I may not be totally over it, but I've   
come to accept their passing. I had a couple of really good cries, and   
Neko was a big help bringing me through my emotional breakdown." Her   
expression became serious.   
  
"But if you tell anyone about it, I'll remove your spleen!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Enter."   
  
A man in a brown cloak, hood down, entered the office. He   
approached the desk and the gentleman behind it, then kneeled and bowed   
his head.   
  
"You may rise and report, Kato," the man sitting behind the desk   
commanded.   
  
"Lord Krynn, we've lost contact with one of our retrieval   
teams," Kato said nervously. "The restaurant was apparently a trap and   
very heavily infused with powerful magic." Kato gulped and thoroughly   
expected to be struck down right then and there.   
  
Kyrnn fumed as he built up a fireball. The fireball   
disappeared. Calming himself, he folded his hands on his large oaken   
desk.   
  
"I'm only letting you live because we're low on manpower, so   
I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself," Krynn said slowly. To which   
Kato nodded, visibly relieved. "We have to assume the ones who are   
responsible were the same ones who drove us out of our mountain lair. In   
time, the three idiots who were foolish enough to be taken prisoner will   
reveal our new location and we will be under attack once more. I cannot   
allow this just yet. We need something to tip the scales back into our   
favor." He thought for a second, then looked up. "Have you ascertained   
the dwellings of any of our enemies?"   
  
Kato nodded. "The only two we know about now are the Nekohanten   
restaurant and a dojo that is the home of the Tendo's. We are informed   
that the one known as Ranma lives there along with his parents."   
  
Krynn steepled his fingers. "That will do. I want you to   
dispatch a team and attempt to take as many hostages as you can. I want   
a fast surprise raid. In and out in minimal time. Think you can handle   
that?" The servant nodded. "Then you are dismissed." Kato left his   
master's room, grateful for second chances.   
  
Inside the office, Krynn pulled a drawer open on his desk to   
reveal a bluish-white crystal, slightly bigger than his hand. He picked   
it up and fingered it.   
  
He carefully placed the crystal back in the drawer, then stood   
up and walked to one of his windows. The view of the ocean below had a   
calming effect on him. "Garon was a fool. He reduced the sects power by   
a 25 percent, all in the pursuit of power. Then we were beaten down when   
he went after that Soyokaze kid." He began to clench and unclench his   
fist in an attempt to head off the anger that was building again. "We   
are now less than half of what we were, thanks to that madman who called   
himself the Fire Lord. And now it is up to me to rebuild."   
  
He recalled another disturbing report, delivered a few days   
earlier. It said that the remaining members of the sects were driven   
from their Tibetan home by something. No one could give details, but a   
few of there number had been killed in the escape exodus that followed.   
Not all had made it to the Japan compound.   
  
"And I must rebuild fast. I must remain strong, and I must   
protect the sects against anything that threatens them."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
A couple of hours later, in the predawn light, twelve cloaked   
figures surrounded the dojo and snuck inside. The dojo's occupants were   
either just getting up, or still asleep. In the kitchen, Kasumi was   
starting to prepare breakfast when she detected movement behind her.   
  
"Good morning," she said cheerily as she turned around to see   
who it was. "Oh my!" was all she could get out before she was grabbed   
and a fine powder sprayed into her face.   
  
She promptly passed out and was tied up, very gently. Somehow,   
her attackers felt that they didn't really want to hurt her.   
  
Soun was in the living room when he heard the scuffle in the   
kitchen. "Kasumi? Are you alright?" Hearing no reply, he grabbed his   
crutches and attempted to get to his feet. Six figures burst into the   
room and attacked. He might've been able to handle them if he didn't   
have the broken leg and was armed. As it was, he was quickly overpowered   
and had the same powder sprayed into his face. The results were the same   
and he was tied up next to Kasumi.   
  
Upstairs, Nabiki and Akane had come out of their rooms, hearing   
the strange noises downstairs.   
  
"What's going on, sis?" Nabiki said sleepily.   
  
Akane yawned. "I don't know but I thought I heard something."   
Just then, several of the cloaked figures came running up the stairs.   
"Nabiki, RUN!" She dropped into a fighting stance.   
  
She dodged the first one to get to her and delivered a chop to   
the neck, sending #1 to the floor, unconscious. She grabbed #2's   
outstretched arm and flipped him onto his back. A punch to the stomach   
ensured he wouldn't be rejoining the fight anytime soon. That's when she   
noticed her older sister still standing there, shock on her face.   
  
"NABIKI!" Akane yelled. "RUN! GO GET HELP!"   
  
That succeeded in jarring her into action. Nabiki ran back into   
her room, and sprinted to her window. Opening it, she warily glanced at   
the ground. I really need to brush up on my skills. Anybody else in   
this family could easily make this jump. Well, maybe not Kasumi, though   
I'm not too sure.   
  
Taking a deep breath, she leaped out the window and rolled when   
she hit the ground, to lesson the impact. Only slightly dazed, she was   
back on her feet and heading for the back entrance when she felt   
something strike her back. It felt like a pin prick. When she began to   
get sleepy, she realized it must've been a tranquilizer dart. She barely   
registered hitting the ground before blacking out.   
  
Inside, Akane had managed to incapacitate several more of her   
attackers, but there was just too many and she had taken a few good hits   
herself. A blow to the side of her head staggered her, then she felt   
something in her arm. Looking down, she pulled the dart out and prepared   
for the next attack. It never came and soon, she was joining her family   
in deep slumber.   
  
As the bodies were loaded into the waiting van, Kato smiled.   
This had gone off well and now his master would be pleased with him. He   
may just survive the day after all! With everyone in the two vans, he   
gave the signal and they were off, but not before leaving the note as   
ordered.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Several blocks away, Ranma was walking along the fence towards   
the dojo. He wasn't quite sure what to say, but he knew he needed to   
talk to Akane and figure this whole engagement mess out.   
  
When he first arrived at the dojo, he thought he didn't want to   
marry the stupid tomboy. But over the past year, something had changed.   
Now, when he began to imagine life without her, the picture turned quite   
bleak. I never thought I'd admit to something like this, and I still   
might not, but I can't think of life without her. Jusendo had scared   
more than he could ever imagine. When he believed she was dead, all   
reason for him to go on living vanished. He knew now, that he could   
never live without her.   
  
He arrived at the dojo and pushed open the gate. Walking up to   
the door, he was about to knock when he realized the door was already   
open. "Hello? Kasumi-san? Tendo-san?" He stepped inside and his heart   
dropped into his stomach as he recognized the signs of a struggle.   
  
"Akane!" He raced into the kitchen. Nothing. He raced upstairs   
and checked the rooms. Nothing. He ran back downstairs and into the   
living room all the while calling out names. That's when he saw Happosai   
sitting in the midst of the wreckage that was the dining room.   
  
"Old freak!" he exclaimed. "Where are they!? What have you done   
with them!?"   
  
Ranma rushed him to attack but the old man simply held up his   
hand. In it, was an envelope. Ranma stopped and took it, opening it up   
to find four pictures and a note. The pictures were of Soun, Kasumi,   
Nabiki, and... Akane. Ranma's heart dropped into his stomach. All were   
in unconscious and bound positions.   
  
Ranma scanned the note.   
  
"You have our friends, we have yours," he read. "Don't think of   
coming after us or they're dead. We might be able to work out a trade   
however, if you find out where we are. Otherwise, stay out of our way   
and do not interfere."   
  
"You may think me a freak," Happosai said slowly. "But I do care   
about my family." And it was the truth, too. If there was one thing he   
had leanred, it was that all the panties in the world weren't worth a   
good family or home to come back to. "I promise you we will get them   
back and make whoever did this pay dearly." He looked up. "Do you know   
who did this?"   
  
Ranma looked up from the note. "Oh, I forgot, you've been gone   
for awhile. Yeah, I got a pretty good idea who did this. But we're gonna   
need help. Last time we were just barely able to beat these guys, and we   
don't everybody we had then. I'll go grab Ukyo and Doc Tofu. You go grab   
my pop at our house and we'll meet at the Nekohanten to form a plan."   
Together they leapt to the wall surrounding the yard. "Tell Cologne it's   
must be the wizard sects again and she'll tell you all about it. Her   
trap must've worked if they claim we have some of their men."   
  
Happosai nodded. "Very well, boy. I'll meet you there in a   
half-an-hour."   
  
They separated and were gone. As Ranma leapt from rooftop to   
rooftop, he said a silent prayer.   
  
"If I find one hair out of place on my Akane, I'll kill every   
last one of them!" he promised to himself, then stopped. "Wait a   
minute... Did I just say, `my Akane'?" A goofy grin crossed his face. "I   
guess I did..." He shook his head and continued on. "Can't think about   
that now." He soon arrived at Ucchan's as the owner was opening the   
restaurant.   
  
"Hiya Ranchan!" she greeted him cheerfully. She noticed the   
grave look on his face. "What's wrong?"   
  
"The Tendo's have been taken, I'm guessing by the wizard sects,"   
he explained. "We could use your help if you feel up to it."   
  
She nodded. "Of course! Just let me grab my gear." She   
disappeared back inside and emerged a couple of minutes later with her   
bandolier, battle spatula, and a determined face. She felt a little fear   
at the prospect of facing the group that had hurt her so bad before, but   
wasn't going to let that fear control her. "Ok, let's go!"   
  
Ranma shook his head. "We're meeting at the Nekohanten. I want   
you to go there right now. I'll be by as soon as I grab Doc Tofu. He'll   
want to come with Kasumi being held."   
  
Ukyo gave him a quick shoulder squeeze and they parted. A few   
minutes later, Ranma was at the clinic. After a brief explanation of the   
situation, which Tofu could barely understand, they were off as soon as   
he realized that Kasumi was in trouble.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"So where are we supposed to put these people?" #1 asked the   
others. "The cells are full already, and we have to keep this group   
seperate from the ones in there."   
  
#2 stopped the group of four carrying their hostages. "How   
about in here?"   
  
"A storage room?" #3 questioned. "Are you sure that's a good   
idea?"   
  
"Yeah," #4 agreed. "Lotsa magic stuff in there. They could use   
it to escape."   
  
#2 waved his hand. "They wouldn't know how to use it, and we   
can just tie them up tight. It's perfect."   
  
#1 nodded. "It's as good a place as any. Besides, my back is   
getting tired from carrying this guy. Kyrnn just said to stash them   
someplace where they couldn't escape."   
  
"Alright," #3 relented. "But let's at least seperate them into   
two different rooms. And for kami's sake, don't tell Krynn!"   
  
The other three agreed heartily.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"So you see, Happi, it's happening," Cologne concluded.   
  
Happosai let out a puff on his pipe. "I don't know, Cologne. In   
all my years, I wouldn't have suspected that it would happen now.   
They're not ready."   
  
"Neither is Shampoo, and that is precisely why we must leave,"   
the old woman countered. "Without any real information, we are   
vulnerable. And we aren't going to get it here."   
  
"And we can't let them know what we're doing either, I know, I   
know." Happosai took another long puff on his pipe. "Very well. I guess   
I'm in agreement for the moment."   
  
"Your support means everything to me," Cologne drawled   
sarcastically.   
  
A scuffle could be heard outside the Nekohanten kitchen. "Yo!   
Old ghoul, we're here!"   
  
Cologne chuckled. "I do believe son-in-law has arrived." She   
pogo'ed out of the kitchen, and Happosai leapt out after her.   
  
"Ok, I think Cologne has explained everything to me," the old   
man began, "and her three captives have sqealed as to the location of   
their brethren." He pointed to the map on the table, where the mages   
base was outlined in red.   
  
Ranma studied it. "Okay, so the place where these wizards are   
hangin' out is at this building by the sea," he said thoughtfully,   
pointing at a spot on a map of Japan. "Then it's pretty obvious to me   
that we go ahead and make the trade." Ranma's brain began to think   
tactically. "Since they haven't seen Happosai yet, he'll sneak in first   
and find the family. Shampoo and mom should go to the train station to   
meet up with Ryoga and Kenji and appraise them of the situation."   
  
"No!" Shampoo yelled. "Shampoo go fight!"   
  
"No child," Cologne admonished. "You are still injured and would   
be a handicap in a fight. Last night was different since we held the   
advantage. You will protect your mother-in-law." Shampoo's countenance   
fell, but she muttered compliance.   
  
Happosai spoke up. "While it's true they probably don't know of   
me or Tofu yet, I doubt they'll fall for the same plan twice. We should   
at least head over and recon the area first. It'll take a couple hours   
just to get there so we should leave right away." The group nodded their   
assent and began to break up. Ranma felt a tug on his leg and looked   
down to see Happosai standing there. "We'll get them back son, I   
promise."   
  
For once, Ranma was in complete agreement with the old master,   
then he suddenly found herself wearing a bucket.   
  
*Glomp!* *Nuzzle, Nuzzle!*   
  
"But, first I need a recharge!" the old man said happily from   
between Ranma-onna's breasts. "Hotcha!"   
  
"Eeeaayyhh!" *POW!* Ranma's fist dropped the old man to the now-   
cratered floor. "Stupid letcher..."   
  
  
  
  
  
Two cabs deposited the ten a mile away from the targeted   
building a couple hours later. Then, Ranma, Genma, Happosai, Cologne,   
Mousse, Tofu, and Ukyo, along with the three they had captured, began   
the trek north along shore and through the forest to the their location,   
admist the forested growth.   
  
Pressure points kept their captives slumbering and easily   
managed. Of course that meant, Ranma, Genma, and Dr. Tofu had to carry   
them, but it was better than risking them escaping.   
  
Within ten minutes, they caught site of the compound, which was   
situated on top of high cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. They worked   
their way around to the western side where they had a higher view point   
and could see over the high walls that enclosed the five buildings.   
  
"I'll go scout around since I can move undetected by these   
amateurs," said Happosai. "The rest of you wait here." Before anyone   
could say a word, he was gone.   
  
"I sure hope the old freak knows what he's doing," Ranma thought   
out loud.   
  
Cologne turned on him. "An old freak he may be, but he is   
highly skilled. Even you must see that. Now we should all get some rest   
while we wait for him to finish his task."   
  
The old ghoul had a point. Ranma hated to admit it (both that   
the freak was skilled and they had to wait), but she was right. He sat   
down on a rock and proceeded to do the one thing that his insides were   
screaming not to do: wait.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Elsewhere, two others were also waiting. Nodoka sat on a bench   
at the station with Shampoo. It was going to be another several hours   
before the train Ryoga and Kenji were on would arrive, so she thought   
she'd use this opportunity to find out a few things. She turned to her   
companion.   
  
"Would you mind of I asked you a question, Shampoo-san?" Nodoka   
asked. To which Shampoo nodded. "What exactly is your intentions toward   
my son?   
  
Shampoo didn't hesitate, but beamed with pride. "Shampoo love   
Ranma! Going to marry Airen and go back to Amazon village in China."   
  
"And do you know how he feels about you?"   
  
Shampoo thought a little harder. "Shampoo know he must love me.   
But it not matter since law says we must marry."   
  
Nodoka raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware. What is this law?"   
  
"It Amazon law. If outsider male defeat female Amazon, they must   
marry."   
  
"And what happens if they don't?"   
  
Shampoo's expression faded a bit. "Then Amazon woman lose much   
honor. Shampoo be disgraced before village. Everyone... lose respect for   
Shampoo." Especially before her peers, she realized.. They had always   
been jealous of her martial arts abilities, and so would take any excuse   
to make fun of her.   
  
When she was beaten easily by female Ranma in front of the   
entire village, she felt the only way to save face in front of her   
people was by using the kiss of death. When it was revealed that Ranma   
was male, she perserved her honor by delivering the kiss of marriage.   
Knowing Ranma was better than her, she requested training from her   
great-grandmother that would give her the ability to match, and that had   
resulted in Jusenkyo. To her eyes, that was a fiasco, since she still   
was no match for him. All it did was give her a curse Ranma couldn't   
stand.   
  
"I see." Nodoka thought for a bit. She knew her son was in love   
with Akane, so he couldn't marry this gaijin. Still, if he didn't, she   
would face terrible hardship and Nodoka didn't want that to happen to   
such a nice young girl. "Is there anyway to break off the engagement   
without any loss of face coming to the Amazon?"   
  
Shampoo thought for a few moments. Her situation wasn't as bad   
as she made it sound, but she wanted Ranma's mother on her side, so a   
little white lie wouldn't hurt. "Shampoo not aware of anything, other   
than one of couple dying. Probably rare cases come before council, but   
Shampoo not know of any." She looked up. "But Ranma marry Shampoo, so   
she no worry."   
  
Nodoka patted Shampoo's leg. "My dear, you may have to accept   
the fact that my son may not love you and may choose to marry someone   
else. I don't wish any harm to you, so maybe I will have a friendly chat   
with your great-grandmother and see if something can be worked out."   
  
They were silent after that, each lost in thought. Shampoo thought.   
  
But somehow, she wasn't entirely convinced.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was an hour later when Happosai returned and he gathered   
everyone together to hear his report.   
  
"I've counted about 30-40 guards and several more in glimpses   
of the buildings," he said. "They also have an impressive security   
circuit, but nothing that would stop me! Mostly cameras and infrared   
beams. The doors are also locked by hi-tech devices." He took a puff on   
his pipe. "With all this technology, it makes you wonder what kind of   
wizards these people are."   
  
"Any idea where the Tendos are?" Tofu asked.   
  
Happosai shook his head. "No, but I felt the strongest power   
coming from the top of the four-story building." He pointed at the   
biggest structure. "They're probably in there. The other buildings are   
most likely barracks, eating, and storage facilities. I suggest we   
concentrate the search on the main building where I sensed the power."   
  
Genma sat back. "So we still need a plan to get in there."   
  
Ranma began pacing. "I think I have a few ideas. So, Happosai,   
you say you can get in there?"   
  
He nodded. "Of course m'boy. But even I couldn't search the   
entire complex before they noticed something wrong and sounded the   
alarm."   
  
Ranma turned to Cologne. "I take it you could get in there   
too?"   
  
She nodded. "Of course."   
  
"Okay," he started. "Me, pop, Ucchan, and Mousse will deliver   
our guests and attempt to make the exchange, while Happosai and Cologne   
sneak in. We'll try to keep them occupied for as long as we can. As soon   
as you find them, you'll have to make some noise or something to let us   
know when to go all out."   
  
"What about me, Ranma?" Tofu asked.   
  
Ranma grinned at him. "What size are you, Doc?" 


	7. Chapter 7

Coming up in a future chapter, I'm going to attempt something that has   
never been done before: A Happosai and Cologne Lemon scene! Am I sick   
little puppy? Am I joking? Am I just trying to hold your interest? Yes.   
  
Can you handle it? Tell me at: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
DISCLAIMER: You know how hard it is thinking up witty disclaimer   
remarks? Oh yeah, these characters aren't mine.   
  
And now for another exciting episode...   
  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Winds Calling   
  
Chapter 7   
  
  
  
  
Akane slowly realized someone was calling her name. She tried to shake her head to snap   
herself awake and that's when she discovered she was sitting in a chair.   
Opening her eyes, she was greeted by a brick wall. On her left and right   
were big shelves filled with multiple bottles that contained some sort   
of clear liquid.   
  
The voice spoke again. "Akane?"   
  
She blinked her eyes. "Nabiki?"   
  
"Finally!" Nabiki cheered. "I swear sis, when you're asleep,   
you're as dead to the world as Ranma."   
  
Akane realized that her ankles were tied together and her arms   
were tied behind the back of her chair. The postion left her sore and   
uncomfortable. Normally she could probably break the thick rope that   
bound them, but her arms were practically asleep from the tight knots   
that reduced bloodflow. She began to clench and unclench her hands to   
get the blood flowing again.   
  
"Oneechan, where are you?"   
  
"I'm behind you, tied in a chair the same as you I imagine." She   
sighed. "I'm not supposed to get caught up in these things. They're only   
supposed to come after you or Ranma and one of you goes to rescue the   
other."   
  
Akane was silent a moment. "Where's dad and Kasumi?"   
  
Nabiki sighed again. "They were here earlier, but were led off   
to another room. Where, I can only guess."   
  
"I'm sorry you got caught up in this, Nabiki," Akane apologized.   
Nabiki giggled. "What's so funny?"   
  
"Well, at least I'll be saved too when Ranma comes to rescue   
you!" Nabiki laughed some more.   
  
"Nabiki!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Kasumi, are you alright?" Soun asked.   
  
"Hai, I'm fine I think," she replied slowly. Both were tied up   
in the same manner as Nabiki and Akane.   
  
"Don't worry daughter, I'll get us out of this!" he said. "And   
if I find they mistreated any one of my babies, I..."   
  
"You will do no such thing!" Soun was stopped by Kasumi's   
forceful command. "You are injured and are in no condition to do   
anything. Just wait for Ranma and the others to come. They will save   
us."   
  
Soun sighed. "I guess you're right. If only I kept practiced in   
the Art, I wouldn't have broken my leg and then I could've done   
something when they attacked the dojo."   
  
"Don't blame yourself, father," she comforted him. "There were   
too many of them for even you to handle."   
  
"You right again as usual, though my pride would rather me not   
face those facts."   
  
"We'll be fine father, you'll see."   
  
"I hope you're right."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was 4pm when the train carrying Ryoga, Kenji, and Yuri   
arrived at Nerima station. As they disembarked, they were greeted by the   
Saotome matriarch and a purple-haired Amazon. The two women quickly   
escorted the trio out of the station and found a quiet area where they   
explained the situation.   
  
"What!?" Ryoga exclaimed. "Akane-san's been kidnapped! How could   
Ranma let that happen!? I'm going to save her and pound that jerk!"   
  
"You will do no such thing!" Ryoga stopped cold as Nodoka   
addressed him. "If you want someone to blame, blame me!"   
  
"Obasama?" he asked, disbelievingly.   
  
"I'm the one who dragged my husband and son out of the house,"   
she said sadly. "If I hadn't, then they would've been there to prevent   
this."   
  
"Gomen," Ryoga apologized.   
  
Nodoka sighed. "You are forgiven, but we are going to have a   
little talk after this is over, okay?" Ryoga nodded meekly.   
  
Kenji decided it was time to step in. "So, what you're saying   
is, the Tendos have been kidnapped and the others have gone to rescue   
them?" She nodded. "Okay, well the two of us will head up there and see   
if there is anything we can do to help, then."   
  
That's when Nodoka noticed the young girl dressed similarly as   
Kenji standing there. "Oh, I didn't even notice your friend there."   
  
Yuri smiled and executed a short bow. "I'm Soyokaze Yuri,   
Saotome-obasama. Kenji's sister!"   
  
"Such a polite young lady!" Nodoka exclaimed. "But are you sure   
you'll be all right going with them?"   
  
Kenji turned to her. "Mrs. Saotome is right. It would be better   
if you stayed here. These people are dangerous."   
  
"Oh no, you don't!" Yuri replied, hotly. "I'm coming with you! I   
don't want to risk losing you now."   
  
Kenji grimaced. "I know how you feel, I don't want to lose you   
either. That's why you have to stay here. You don't know what you're up   
against."   
  
"Then you shouldn't go either!" Yuri yelled.   
  
"I owe these people a debt of honor!" Kenji countered. "They   
saved my life!"   
  
Yuri smiled. "Fine! Then I owe them a debt of honor, too! They   
saved my brother and brought him back to me!" She leveled her eyes at   
him. "I'm going."   
  
Ryoga sighed. "Soyokaze, we don't have time for this! Just   
bring her along. She looks like she could handle herself in a fight, and   
we could use all the help we can get."   
  
Kenji glanced back and forth between the two and sighed.   
"Alright, I know when I'm beat." He settle his gaze on his sister. "But   
I'm sticking with you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."   
  
Yuri hugged him. "Thanks, `niichan. I won't let anyone hurt you   
either."   
  
Nodoka cleared her throat. "Well, if you three are decided,   
here is a map with directions Elder Cologne left for you." She handed   
them the map, and they thanked her. "Come Shampoo-chan, we'll head to my   
house. Good luck."   
  
Ryoga spoke up again. "Don't worry Mrs. Saotome, we'll bring   
them back."   
  
With that, the group cornered a couple of cabs. The two women   
took one back to the Saotome house, and the trio took the other, hoping   
they would arrive in time.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma glanced at his watch: 6pm.   
  
"You better be right about this, Saotome," Mousse muttered to   
his left. "I do not like surrendering."   
  
"You got any better ideas?" Ranma countered. The   
Amazon shook his head. A hand squeezed Ranma's right arm.   
  
"We're with you Ranchan," Ukyo said. She winked at him.   
  
"Arigato, Ucchan."   
  
Genma didn't say anything, but watched his son. Truth be told,   
he was proud of Ranma. Not only was he an excellent martial artist, but   
he had an uncanny knack for feeling out a situation, developing a plan,   
and getting people to work together on that plan. It validated some of   
Genma's guilt of everything he had put his son through on their training   
trip.   
  
Ranma gave the signal to his comrades and they rose, heading   
for the front gate of the compound. They were soon were in sight of the   
guards, who eyed them suspiciously. When they came close enough, they   
were ordered to halt. Ranma counted at least twenty guards in sight.   
There were probably more on the other side of the giant, solid iron   
gate.   
  
He took a position slightly in front of the others. "My name is   
Saotome Ranma. I think your boss is expecting me."   
  
"Stay right there while I call him," one of the guards said. He   
went over and picked up a phone. After a short conversation, he hung up.   
Five minutes later, the gate swung open.   
  
There were indeed more guards on the other side, but there was   
also a figure standing in the middle who was radiating power; both   
command and literal. Ranma wondered.   
  
The man, who was obviously the leader, stepped forward. He was   
also the only one with hood removed so you could see his face, and he   
was wearing black robes as opposed to the brown worn by the rest of his   
minions. He was bald, but had a black mustache and beard covering his   
face. "Welcome to my home, Ranma-san. You may call me Kyrnn. Please,   
won't you come in?"   
  
"We came for our friends," Ranma said evenly. "We have yours, so   
we've come to make the trade."   
  
Kyrnn's eyes narrowed. "And a trade we will make. But if you   
want to see your friends alive, you'll join me." Ranma inhaled, then   
nodded to the group and they started foreword. Krynn smiled. "Excellent!   
You'll see there is much we can do for each other!"   
  
"I doubt it," Ukyo spat.   
  
Krynn laughed. "My, what spirit! Just like another girl I   
know..."   
  
"You better not have hurt any of them," Ranma growled.   
  
  
"What kind of host do you think I am?" Krynn appeared shocked.   
By now, Ranma's group was inside the gate and it closed behind them.   
"Now if you will be so kind as to relinquish my loyal followers..."   
  
Ranma tossed his bundle to the ground. Mousse and Genma   
followed with theirs. Krynn gestured to a trio of his minions who picked   
up the three unconscious men and carried them off.   
  
"They're just sleeping and should wake up soon," Ranma   
explained. "Now, do we get our people?"   
  
Krynn smiled in a way that sent shivers down Ranma's spine. "Of   
course! Just follow me."   
  
He turned and walked toward the main building and Ranma   
gestured for his friends to follow.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Come on Happi, they'll be going in right now!"   
  
"I'm coming, Cologne." Happosai leaped down from the tree he was   
sitting in to join Cologne on the ground. He smiled at her. "Just like   
the good ol' days, eh?"   
  
The old woman groaned. "Don't remind me. Remember what I told   
you earlier."   
  
Happosai sighed. "I know. We have to disappear if there is   
going to be any choice to fight the coming disaster."   
  
"Agreed." Cologne's voice was solemn. "The kids must survive on   
their own from now on, and we can't tell them what we know. Now, let's   
go."   
  
The two elders timed their leap and flew over the wall when the   
cameras weren't looking. Once inside, the duo moved rapidly, crossing   
the distance to the back of the main building. Leaping up to a second   
story window, Cologne tapped the glass in several spots and it promptly   
fell inward. The two intruders moved inside and prepared to confront any   
occupants, but they were in luck, no one was there. The window was put   
back into place.   
  
"We stick to the plan, Happi," Cologne said. "I'll take the   
lower two floors and you take the upper two."   
  
Happosai winked, then slowly opened the door. "Coast is clear.   
Let's go!"   
  
They split up and began to search.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Let's put them in here to recover."   
  
"Good idea, I don't wanna lug these guys around, anymore."   
  
The three minions who carried the three unconscious forms of   
their brethren, placed them a small room containing a couple of bunk   
beds. After depositing them the sleeping forms, they took off, grumbling   
about menial labor.   
  
As soon as he heard the door shut again, Tofu easily undid his   
bounds and sat up. He then checked the other occupants. His surroundings appeared to be one of the windowless   
sleeping chambers in one of the barracks. He was hoping   
they'd take him to the main building. he thought.   
  
He walked to the door and listened. No sounds. Putting his hood   
over his head, he slowly opened the door and walked out. As he began to   
walk down the hall, another cloaked figure appeared and started to walk   
towards him. To Tofu's relief, the figure ignored him. As soon as they   
passed, the doc swung around and tapped a few pressure points. The   
wizard fell to the ground and Tofu carried him back to the room.   
  
Then Dr. Ono Tofu began the search in earnest.   
  
  
  
  
  
High upon a hill, three figures watched Ranma and co. enter the   
main building, escorted by the mages.   
  
"Great, they've been captured," Kenji huffed. "Come on, we   
better go in after them."   
  
Ryoga placed a hand on Kenji's arm. "Hold on! I only see Ranma,   
his father, Ukyo-san, and Mousse. Where are the others? Mrs. Saotome   
said the group included more people. Cologne, Happosai and Tofu-sensei."   
  
"So where are they?" Kenji asked.   
  
Ryoga shrugged. "I don't know. I guess they must be operating   
on some sort of plan."   
  
"So what do we do, Hibiki-san?" Yuri asked. "You know them   
better then us."   
  
"The only thing we can do," Ryoga replied. "Wait, and be ready   
to strike when the right moment comes."   
  
Yuri thought for a moment. "How will we know when to strike?"   
  
Ryoga smiled. "Knowing Ranma, I think we'll be able to tell."   
  
"Right," Kenji agreed. "I guess what we should discuss, are the   
actions we'll take once the time is right."   
  
The other two nodded and began to plan.   
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma's group was led into a larger room on the fourth floor.   
It appeared to be a study, with bookshelves lining the room and a large   
ornate desk at the opposite side from the entry door. Krynn led the way   
and stopped in front of the desk. Twelve cloaked figures kept guard   
around them.   
  
"How do you like my office?" he asked.   
  
Ranma shrugged. "I've seen better."   
  
"I thought we were going to see the Tendos!" Ukyo exclaimed.   
  
Krynn nodded. "Oh, you'll see them soon enough. But only when I   
decide the moment is right. Now let's talk about what you can do for   
me."   
  
"No true martial artist uses his skills for evil," Genma intoned   
solemnly.   
  
"Nor will any Amazon," Mousse added.   
  
Krynn shook his head. "You don't seem to understand. You really   
don't have a choice here. You work for me, and I release your friends   
alive. You don't, and I release your friends in a not-so alive   
condition."   
  
Kyrnn studied the faces of his captives. "Well, I'll let you think it over while   
I see to your friends. When I get back, you better be ready with an   
answer." He turned to his guards. "If they try anything, you have my   
permission to kill, maim, and torture them. I'll leave the choice up to   
you, Kato."   
  
The one known as Kato bowed. "As you wish, Master."   
  
Krynn made a few wavy gestures with his hands and promptly   
disappeared.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Cologne was on the first floor now, having failed to find any   
sign of them on the second. Coming across another set of metal double   
doors, she cautiously opened them and peeked inside. It appeared to be   
the big building that was attached to the main one; a spacious gym   
where, apparently, the wizards worked a variety of skills. No one was   
inside and the lights were dimmed so she slipped inside and began   
looking for clues.   
  
About halfway through, she was startled by a voice. "Now, I   
don't remember inviting you."   
  
Cologne turned around and cursed herself. I didn't even sense   
anybody nearby! How did he do it? The one who made the comment was   
floating several feet in the air and wearing a black cloak with the hood   
down.   
  
"My name is Krynn and I can sense the power in you, old one," he   
said, eyes narrowing. "In fact, that's how I knew you were here. You   
really couldn't hide your power well enough."   
  
Cologne laughed. "I have no need to hide my power, since my   
last defeat was 200 years ago. Though you're welcome to try."   
  
"I'll do more than try, I'll succeed," he stated solemnly. "And   
by the way, this gym is sound-proofed and shock-proofed so no one else   
will hear you scream."   
  
The two faced each other down for what seemed like an eternity,   
but was only a couple of minutes. Then Krynn led off with a few   
fireballs. Cologne easily dodged as he gathered her ki energy, sending   
multiple ki-blasts at her target. He didn't even bother dodging.   
  
When the dust settled after the repeated impacts, Cologne was   
frightened to see him undamaged.   
  
"Oh, come now," he laughed. "Is that all you've got?"   
  
The Amazon matriarch jumped towards the floating figure   
intending to attack with her staff. Just as Krynn tried to punch her out   
of the air, she sped up and zipped behind him, aiming for the back of   
his neck. As her staff came down, she was instantly blown back before   
she could connect.   
  
She impacted the wall, back first, and bounced to the floor,   
summoning her ki energy to heal herself.   
  
The black-cloaked man grinned evilly as he advanced on her.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nodoka and Shampoo were having tea and having a subdued   
conversation. As Shampoo was about to take a sip from her cup, she lost   
her grip and the cup fell to the floor, breaking in two. She apologized   
as they worked to clean it up, but Shampoo couldn't help but think this   
was some kind of omen.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
On the third floor, Happosai was making slow progress. He had   
to do more dodging of patrols and was still unable to locate anyone.   
Taking a step back inside the hallway, he got a sudden chill. Something   
was wrong, very wrong.   
  
His eyes narrowed and he dashed off, hoping he wasn't too late. 


	8. Chapter 8

Don't worry, Happy and Cologne's big moment is still coming... uh, bad  
choice of words.  
Sorry `bout this.  
  
E-mail: oddball22@hotmail.com  
  
DISCLAIMER: Everything you read is real; the names have been changed to  
protect the innocent. Hmm? What's that? The names HAVEN'T been changed!? Oh boy...  
  
Onward...  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Winds Calling  
  
Chapter 8  
  
  
  
  
The battle wasn't going well.  
  
Cologne continued to circle her opponent, but none of her  
attacks were getting through, so she decided to try an all-out assault.  
Summoning her reserves, she launched into a complex pattern of ki-  
blasts, hitting him from all sides.  
  
Krynn was dodging and blocking with that shield of his as  
Cologne hoped he would. While he was distracted, she moved around behind  
him, jumped into the air and tossed her staff at his back. Bouncing off  
the wall, she moved over to his right and shot towards him. As  
predicted, when the ki-blasts stopped, he deflected the staff the same  
way he had deflected her attack earlier.  
  
Then she saw the opening. With him slightly twisted away from  
her, Cologne sped in a and hit a few pressure points, before an attack  
from him knocked her away.  
  
"WITCH!" he screamed when his right arm and shoulder went limp.  
"What did you do!?"  
  
Cologne backflipped away, caught her staff, and smirked.  
"You're 100 years to early to beat me sonny. Just give up now."  
  
She expected him to get even angrier and attack. Instead, he  
laughed. "Nice one! But you should know I've only been toying with you.  
Time to end this."  
  
Krynn thrust out his left hand and Cologne began to dodge,  
expecting some kind of distance attack. Before she could move, however,  
she was knocked off her feet and slammed into a wall. Cologne tried to  
scream, but all the air was forced from her lungs with the impact.  
  
She felt her body being grabbed again as she was flung into  
another wall.  
  
Then again.  
  
And again.  
  
With each impact, the old woman found more and more of her  
defensive ki-energy drained and was unable todo much to heal herself.  
Eventually, Krynn dropped her onto the ground in a crumpled heap.  
Cologne knew that more than a few bones had been broken and she'd need  
to spend a long time recuperating to fully recover.  
  
If she survived.  
  
Above her, Krynn set about creating a large fireball to finish  
the job. He smirked at her, then prepared to deliver the blow that would  
end her life.  
  
"HAPPODAIKARIN!"  
  
Krynn looked up just in time to see several sphereical objects  
explode in his face, propelling him backwards to the ground. Happosai  
leaped into the gym to land by Cologne's side.  
  
"Cologne?" he whispered. "Are you ok?"  
  
Cologne coughed up a little blood. "Do I look ok?" she groaned.  
  
Happosai's aura began to glow. "Don't worry, I'll kill the  
bastard who did this!" And he turned his back on her to advance on the  
recovering form of Krynn.  
  
Cologne tried to stop him. "No, Happi! He's too powerful!" But  
he didn't hear her.  
  
"Alright young man, it's time someone taught you to respect your  
elders!"  
  
Krynn stood up, dusted his robe, and grinned.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Did anybody hear that?" Mousse whispered. They were now in the  
center of the room, sitting down in a circle with their backs to the  
figures lining the room. They had been talking in quiet tones so the  
twelve mages in the room wouldn't hear them.  
  
"Hear what?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"I thought I heard a low rumble," Mousse replied. "With my bad  
eyesight, my other senses have sharpened."  
  
Genma cocked his head. "You think it's the signal?"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "No, when Happosai or Cologne give the  
signal, we'll know."  
  
"I hope you're right, boy," his father said.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tofu wound his way through the building he had started in, but  
was unable to find the Tendos. Now he was on his way outside to check  
the other buildings. He had relieved another mage of his passcard, so he  
was hoping he would have access to some of the other buildings. He held  
his breath, then opened the door and stepped outside.  
  
Walking briskly through the courtyard, he could see several  
other robed figures glance at him through his peripheral vision. At any  
moment, he fully expected one of them to see something wrong, sound the  
alarm, and the jig would be up. But his cover was miracously left intact  
as he approached another building and swiped his card through the  
reader. The lock beeped and the door opened.  
  
[So far so good,] he thought.  
  
As he slipped inside, he thought he felt the ground rumble a  
bit, but decided it must have been his imagination.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Happosai, through the power of his impressive battle aura, had  
grown to monster size. Krynn was actually quite shocked.  
  
"Feel free to give up anytime," the old Musabetsu Kakuto master  
taunted.  
  
Krynn's shock turned to anger. "It'll take more than size to  
scare me!" As if to prove the point, he unloaded various size fireballs  
and hydro-blasts. He even tore up equipment laying on the ground and  
sent it at the giant.  
  
The projectiles impacted, exploded, and Happosai's image  
disappeared. Suddenly, Krynn felt an impact to his stomach which  
launched him up a wall. He never saw it coming, or the half-dozen that  
followed it.  
  
Krynn roared and charged the old man. As they were about to  
connect, both forms flickered for a minute, than vanished. If one was  
standing in the room watching the battle, all they would see is two  
blurs, bouncing off walls and into each other, only to bounce away and  
rebound off another surface.  
  
Happosai was hard pressed. He admit to admit the kid was fast  
and powerful; though not as skilled as the old master. Happosai's  
attacks were more often than not, deflected by some sort of barrier  
before they could impact. Still, he would lose when he ran out of  
energy, and there were no lingerie or young-beautiful women present for  
him to recharge.  
  
Eventually, the old man slipped up. Or maybe he made an error  
in judgment. In either case, he didn't see the blow coming. Pain lanced  
in his side, knocking him back. That blow was followed by several more  
before Happosai's body dropped to the floor. He rolled over on his back  
to see Krynn floating over him like he had been with Cologne.  
  
"You are quite powerful for your age," he complimented them.  
"I'd like to thank you for the workout, but you know what they say about  
youth defeating experience."  
  
Happosai grinned. "It's actually old age and treachery that  
beat youth. HAPPODAIKARIN!" He gathered all his strength and tossed  
several of his special fuse bombs up into his adversary.  
  
Krynn leaned to the side as the bombs flew by him. "You  
missed."  
  
"Did I?"  
  
Krynn looked up as the bombs blew up the ceiling and sent a  
mass of steel, iron, and cement careening down. He face twisted in  
horror as the thick debris rained onto him and buried him on the gym  
floor.  
  
Seeing his attack succeed, Happosai relaxed and tried to regain  
his strength. "I'm getting too old for this."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane was working on loosening the ropes which bound her. She  
had just finally retrieved enough strength to break the bonds around her  
wrists, when the ground shook. Her first thought was an earthquake. Her  
second thought was how she better get out of the way as the shelves  
tipped over, threatening to crush both her and Nabiki.  
  
Moving quickly, she stood up and gave her sister's chair a  
vicious shove, even as she dove to safety. She almost made it. While the  
falling shelves missed them, the bottles that were on them fell out and  
shattered, spraying water everywhere. One of the bottles flew farther  
then it's brethren and Akane felt the water completely soak her  
backside.  
  
For the first time, she felt the change.  
  
Nabiki recovered from having her chair knocked over just in  
time to see the guards open the door and rush in. They froze instantly,  
and Nabiki thought she saw terror etched heavily on their faces. She  
sensed something leap over her and caught sight of what the guards were  
afraid of.  
  
A giant yellow and black striped tiger.  
  
She watched, fascinated as it tackled one of the guards,  
slamming him first into the wall and then the floor. The other guard  
backpedaled quickly, partly from fear and partly from being knocked off  
balance. His backward momentum was halted by the corner, and attempted  
to dash out of the room.  
  
He never made it.  
  
The tiger was on him a second later and he soon joined his  
unconcious comrade. Nabiki was somewhat relieved to see the two men were  
still breathing. That's when the tiger turned and began to pad its way  
towards her.  
  
Nabiki felt an emotion which she hadn't really felt for a long  
time: fear.  
  
It wasn't often the `Ice Queen' could be scared of anything,  
but this definitely qualified as one of those times.  
  
"Nice kitty," was her attempt to soothe the savage beast. [Like  
that's gonna work.] The tiger stopped in front of her and sat down.  
Nabiki was sure it almost looked confused. "Akane? Where are you? I  
could really use you right now..."  
  
The tiger looked at her and growled. It then walked over to her  
until Nabiki could feel it's hot breath blowing across her face. [I'm  
gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die,] she repeated to herself, eyes  
clenched shut in preparation for the end. [And I never even had a real  
boyfriend!]  
  
Then the tiger licked her cheek. Nabiki's eyes shot open as the  
tiger rubbed it's face against hers, then walked around behind her. She  
soon felt it biting on the ropes that bound her. In a minute, she was  
free. Standing up slowly, and noticing Akane gone, it suddenly hit her.  
  
"Akane?" she said nervously. "Is that you?" The tiger did it's  
best to nod. Nabiki slapped her forehead. "Figures we had to be stuck in  
the room with the spare Jusenkyo water." She smirked. "You know, this  
really puts a damper on your relationship with Ranma since you know how  
he feel about cats." Akane growled. "Calm down, I'll figure out  
something."  
  
She walked over to the fallen shelves and looked around,  
careful to not step into any puddles. A few unbroken bottles had rolled  
off to the side and she picked them up. [Yes! They're marked!] She went  
through about twelve bottles, before finding the one he wanted. She  
turned around and presented it to the waiting tiger.  
  
"Spring of drowned girl!" The tiger stood up and walked over to  
her, rubbing against her legs. "I take it you want this?" Akane nodded  
again. "5000 yen." The tiger face-faulted. "Just kidding! I wouldn't do  
that to my baby sister. Now hold still." She proceeded to uncork the  
bottle and pour the contents over her bestial sister. In no time, the  
tiger had reformed into a naked Akane.  
  
"Nabiki!" she admonished her sister. "I can't believe you were  
even tempted to charge me for the cure."  
  
Nabiki shrugged. "Gomen. But old habits die hard."  
  
As Akane got dressed, a thought hit her. "Hey! I wonder if  
there is some Nannichaun water around here for Ranma?"  
  
The two girls looked for a few minutes, before Nabiki found the  
bottle. Akane sighed when she saw that the bottle was broken and the  
contents all gone.  
  
"Oh well, I guess we better get out here and find dad and  
Kasumi," Akane said.  
  
Nabiki nodded and the two crept to the door. Taking a quick  
peek outside, Akane pulled her sister back inside quickly when she  
spotted a hooded figure approaching. She directed Nabiki to stand in the  
middle of the room, while Akane flattened herself against the doorside  
wall.  
  
The footsteps grew closer and louder, and eventually the figure  
entered the room. It passed Akane, not noticing she was there, then  
stopped when it saw the young woman in the center of the room wave at  
him.  
  
"Nabiki!?" was all he said before Akane tackled him. As they hit  
the ground, something clicked in Nabiki's mind.  
  
"Akane, wait!" Nabiki and the figure said at the same time.  
  
Akane stopped and removed the hood of her opponent.  
  
It was Dr. Tofu.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Krynn's office rocked with the explosion and knocked a few of  
the unsuspecting guards off their feet. Several volumes of large  
hardbound books were jumbled loose from the surrounding shelves to fall  
on the guards below, distracting them. Ranma nodded to the group and  
they sprung to the attack.  
  
Ranma let loose a ki blast. The energy ball slammed into a  
guard and made him one with the bookshelf behind him. Ukyo launched a  
handful of throwing spatula's pinning another guard against a wall,  
before drawing her main battle spat' . Mousse sent chains, knives, and  
wooden training potties fly, dropping three more.  
  
By this time, a few of the mages had recovered and were on the  
attack, but it was too little too late. The four highly determined  
martial artists were upon them, and within a few minutes, it was all  
over.  
  
Ranma motioned them to the door and casually opened it. Noting  
that nothing unusual had happened, he took a hesitant step outside, the  
others following. Shouts of alarm from down one end of the hallway could  
be heard and robed mages soon appeared. Fireballs and hydro-blasts  
filled the small hallway and the group had no choice but to flee.  
  
They quickly piled into another door and headed up the stairs  
and out the door at the top. It was then that Ranma realized they had  
made a mistake. They were trapped.  
  
They were on the roof.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Outside, the waiting trio saw the roof of a big building, next  
to the main structure,  
explode. The guards outside turned their attention inward, stunned.  
  
"Now do we strike?" Yuri whispered excitedly.  
  
Kenji shook his head. "Not just yet."  
  
"Oh pooh," she replied.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Inside the gym, there was a groan.  
  
Then a yell.  
  
Then the pile of debris exploded as Krynn emerged, glowing with  
a dark red aura, and looking extremely angry.  
  
"THAT HURT!" he roared. Turning his attention down, he saw that  
neither the old man nor the old woman were moving and their energy  
levels were at incredibly low levels. "Hmph. That takes care of them.  
Now to see to the others." He heard yelling outside and flew up through  
the hole in the roof of the gym.  
  
"Bring me the Tendos!" he yelled at his minions. He heard a  
sound behind him and turned to see what it was.  
  
He grinned evilly at the four figures who had emerged on the  
roof of his office building.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Tofu!" Akane immediately hugged him and then they both stood  
up.  
  
"Are you girls all right?" he asked. They both nodded, but he  
noticed a few bruises on Akane. "I take it you were fighting when you  
were kidnapped. Now where are Kasumi-san and Tendo-san?"  
  
"We don't know," Nabiki answered.  
  
Tofu nodded and peeked out into the hall. He also glanced down  
at the two unconscious guards. "What happened to them?"  
  
Nabiki smirked. "Cat fight."  
  
The doctor wore a confused expression, while Akane elbowed her  
sister. "We'll explain later. Shouldn't we be leaving?"  
  
Tofu nodded and the trio left. They padded silently down the  
hall, checking the rooms as they went. Rounding a corner, Tofu had the  
girls wait while he went ahead. After a few moments, he called to them.  
  
He was standing over a pair of bodies that were obviously  
guarding a door. He opened it with a key he had obtained off one of the  
guards, and discovered the other two missing Tendos inside. It was a  
simple matter to free them, but Nabiki thought for sure Tofu would go  
haywire when he saw Kasumi.  
  
Instead, they were all surprised by a completely different  
reaction.  
  
"Kasumi-chan, are you alright?" Tofu asked tenderly. "They  
didn't hurt you, did they? If they did, I'll tear them apart!"  
  
"Goodness, I'm fine Tofu-kun," Kasumi replied. "I'm glad you  
were worried about me." She smiled lovingly at him and brushed his cheek  
with her hand. "Thank you for coming to save me, though."  
  
Three jaws hit the floor.  
  
"What the...!?" Akane stammered. "How long has this been going  
on!?"  
  
The pair looked up at the three stunned faces, then Tofu's  
glasses fogged up. "Ka-Ka-Kasumi! What a concidence to meet you here of  
all places!"  
  
Nabiki waved him off. "Forget it doc, we're on to you."  
  
"But.. I... well..." stammered Tofu.  
  
Kasumi stopped him by lightly grabbing ahold of his hands.  
"It's okay, Tofu-kun. The secret is out now. We should concern ourselves  
now with our escape."  
  
Tofu sighed, then nodded. "You're right, let's go."  
  
As they left, Akane pulled Kasumi aside and whispered. "We're  
going to have a serious sisterly chat after this!"  
  
Soun was so stunned, he couldn't even wail.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
They retrieved the two robes and left the guards inside. Akane  
donned one and the other went to Nabiki since they were still in their  
PJ's from that morning. Heading back out into the hall, the sounds of  
shouting outside and explosions echoed from outside, but all that was  
dwarfed by a loud booming voice. Several faint voices crying for help  
could also be heard, drifting from a different direction.  
  
The group dashed down the hall to yet another room and were  
surprised at what they found therein. Four people were locked in  
separate cells.  
  
"Akane-kun?" one of them called.  
  
Akane's attention was drawn to the speaker, and was surprised  
when she recognized the girl. "Miyo? How'd you end up here?"  
  
Nabiki cocked her head. "Wait a minute. You're that Tarot Card  
reading fortune teller that was at our school for awhile, aren't you?"  
Miyo nodded while Tofu unlocked the cells.  
  
"She helped us when Happosai was sick and dying," Akane  
explained to the others. "She told me how to make that potion that saved  
him and the rest of you." She glanced over at another boy. "Hikaru-kun!  
So they did get you, too."  
  
Hikaru Gosunkugi looked almost ready to faint from the  
attention he was receiving from his goddess. "A-Akane-san. Y-y-you saved  
me!"  
  
"No problem!" Akane smiled at him and he did faint. Then she saw  
the other boy and girl. "Who are you guys?"  
  
The other girl identified herself as Henki Ariko and the other  
guy said his name was Yamato Toshi. It turned out Ariko was a novice  
sorceress in-training and Toshi claimed to have a link with a 500 year-  
old spirit named Yabunaga.  
  
"Just as I thought," Nabiki said idly. "The sects were targeting  
those with mystical abilities."  
  
After all introductions were made, Tofu suggested it was time  
they made their escape.  
  
Nobody argued with that idea. 


	9. Chapter 9

Can't think of anything interest to say.   
  
Can you? Tell me: oddball22@hotmail.com   
  
My fanfiction is at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000   
  
DISCLAIMER: Okay! I give up! I don't own these characters! I don't own   
anything!   
Even my body belongs to... Nevermind.   
  
Back to the show...   
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges   
Winds Calling   
  
Chapter 9   
  
  
  
  
"MOKO TAKABISHA!"   
  
Ranma loosed the ki blast as soon as Krynn turned around. It   
impacted and knocked him back a few feet, but left him otherwise unhurt.   
he decided.   
  
Krynn snarled and retaliated, letting a dozen fireballs loose.   
The four dodged out of the way, though they were mainly aimed at Ranma   
who just barely escaped harm. However, the roof now had several large   
holes in it, decreasing the available maneuvering space. Chains and   
spatula's flew, but impacted against an invisible barrier and were   
turned away.   
  
Ranma gritted his teeth. "There's no   
room up here to fight!" he told his comrades. "We have to get back down   
to the ground!"   
  
"I hate to break this to you, Ranchan," replied Ukyo, looking   
down. "But the ground is even worse."   
  
Ranma risked a glance down during a jump. It was crawling with   
elemental mages.   
  
Krynn let loose another wave of fireballs. "Puny mortals! You cannot harm me. I am now a god! I killed   
those two old ones who tried to sneak in with you and they're power was   
greater than yours!"   
  
Ranma gulped.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The trio outside the walls watched the figure fly up out of the   
recently created hole in the building. They heard his command to   
retrieve the Tendos. They observed the four figures emerge on the top of   
the main building. And they watched them attack. Kenji and Ryoga   
realized who they were as soon as Ranma released his signature ki blast.   
  
"Now?" Ryoga asked nervously. Kenji could tell he itchin' to   
fight.   
  
The word was given. "Now!"   
  
The trio jumped up from their hiding place and rushed downhill   
for a bit, stopping just before they hit the bottom. Ryoga and Kenji   
began to gather their ki energies.   
  
Ryoga gathered up his feelings of depression: the fact that he   
could never tell Akane how he felt, the fact that he was always getting   
lost, his pig-curse, that he was always alone, that he couldn't find   
Akari, and that it was all Ranma's fault.   
  
Kenji concentrated on all his friends and the desire to protect   
them, especially his newly found sister. When they were both charged,   
Ryoga to led off, Kenji following a second later.   
  
"SHISHI HOUKODEN!" Ryoga's beam of yellow and white energy   
smashed through the outer guards and into the wall. He swept the beam   
from left to right, demolishing the wall and any who stood in it's path.   
  
"KIJIN BOUHUUKEN!" Kenji's blast of 200 mph winds followed a   
second later and blew past the demolished wall and into the courtyard.   
Bodies were tossed around, slamming into walls and into each other as   
the outer wall that protected them was no longer there.   
  
When the fantastic energies dissipated, both guys dropped to   
one knee and tried   
to catch their breath and recover.   
  
"Wow `niichan!" Yuri exclaimed. "That was impressive! You too   
Hibiki-san! I don't know why Oka won't let any of our clan learn stuff   
like that."   
  
She laid a hand on her brother's shoulder and gasped. She could   
almost feel how weak his ki had become. She silently wished she could   
lend him some of her strength and then a funny thing happened. She felt   
as if something had sucked energy right out of her. She was dizzy for a   
second, but then recovered. It only lasted a moment, but Kenji was back   
on his feet and holding her arms.   
  
"I felt it," he said. "You transferred some of your ki to me.   
How?"   
  
"I-I don't know," she admitted. "I just kinda felt how weak you   
were and wished to give some of my strength to you and then it happened.   
I guess, maybe since we're both half-elementals and siblings we can   
share our strength?"   
  
"Uh, guys?" Ryoga spoke up. "You think we can get back to the   
task at hand?"   
  
Kenji nodded. "Right, Hibiki. Let's go!"   
  
The trio continued their run towards the compound, encountering   
resistance as they neared the wall. Not all of the mages had taken the   
massive attack and there was still a dangerous number to deal with. Yuri   
whipped out a pair of her battle yo's and leapt into the fray, swinging   
them around wildly. Ryoga let loose some bandanna's, then pulled his   
umbrella out, yelling his berserker cry. Kenji was just about to join   
the fight, when he risked a glance upward to the battle on the roof.   
  
The floating figure in the black cloak had just launched   
another attack of exploding fireballs. He heard a cry of "UCCHAN!" then   
watched in horror as a girl with a large spatula was blown off the roof.   
  
And not just a little ways off.   
  
She was practically launched a good distance out of the   
compound before beginning her downward descent. Kenji felt bile rise in   
his throat when he realized what direction she was heading; namely, over   
the cliff and down the long, sharp drop-off into the ocean below.   
  
Without even thinking about it, Kenji sprang foreword into the   
air and activated the technique that he had only practiced once. And   
only with the aid of Yuri, for it was only with both of them that they   
got it to work before.   
  
It was during the night before they left for Nerima. Kenji was   
unable to sleep and decided to take a stroll. Apparently his sister was   
feeling the same way, because he found her hunched over the box, looking   
through the contents.   
  
In particular, she was studying a singular scroll and she   
showed it to Kenji when she noticed him there. It deatailed the forming   
of an aerodynamic wind shell to facilitate flight. She was trying to   
learn it, but failing. After a few practices, they managed to levitate   
off the ground for several minutes by combining their ki. The experience   
left them drained and they stumbled back to their beds for a good   
night's sleep.   
  
Now, propelled by the force of a tornado, Kenji formed the air   
shell instinctively and shot over the cliff after the disappearing   
okonomiyaki chef. He didn't even hear his sister call his name. As he   
cleared the cliff and started down, he could see Ukyo tumbling out of   
control. He poured on the speed in an effort to catch up with her.   
  
Ukyo had begun her fall somewhat stunned. When enough of her   
wits had been recovered, they promptly fled again when they took notice   
of her predicament. she repeated to   
herself, unknowingly echoing Nabiki's earlier thoughts. A glance upward   
revealed someone falling after her. Her panicked mind registered only   
one thought.   
  
"KENJI!?"   
  
Ukyo realized he was reaching out to her, so she held up her   
hand and reached for Kenji's outstretched arm. Thirty feet before the   
bottom, they locked hands and Kenji strengthened the shell, pulling out   
of the dive a few feet before impacting the rocky ocean crags below. As   
he began the flight upward, he pulled Ukyo closer to him, and she   
automatically clamped her arms around his neck, tears staining his   
shirt. When she was firmly holding on tight, he stuck out his arms to   
either side to better manipulate the air shell.   
  
"Kenji-kun?" Ukyo gasped through her frightened tears. "You've   
got me? Who's got you!?" She looked around. We-we're flying! You're   
flying! How!?"   
  
Kenji chuckled. "An old techniques of my father's. Hang on!"   
  
Ukyo squealed as Kenji increased the speed and cleared the   
cliff line, bringing the compound and the battle zone into view. The   
figures on the roof were now on the ground. As they swept over the   
compound, more than a few people stopped fighting and gazed wide-eyed at   
the two figures soaring through the air. Kenji suddenly realized   
something and gulped.   
  
Ukyo caught that gulp and looked up at him. "Kenji, what's   
wrong?"   
  
"I, uh, suddenly realized something."   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"I don't know how to land!" he blurted out.   
  
"WHAT!?"   
  
"Hang ON!" Kenji left the compound and came low to the ground,   
aiming for a patch of soft ground (as if such a thing existed).   
"Alright, I want you to jump off me!"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Don't argue! Do it Now!"   
  
"Okkkkkkaaaaaaaayyyyyy!!!" Kenji twisted so he was flying on his   
back and Ukyo jumped straight up. When she came down, Kenji was no   
longer underneath her and she hit the ground and rolled, rapidly coming   
back to her feet. Looking up, she saw Kenji trying to slow down, but to   
no avail. He crashed through some bushes and disappeared, followed   
shortly by a *thud*. "Kenji!"   
  
She ran through the bushes after him, but stopped on the other   
side. She then broke out laughing. Kenji was laying against the trunk of   
a tree, upside down, obviously dazed. When he regained some of his wits   
and glimpsed the girl laughing at him, he lost his precarious balance   
and fell forward, landing on his stomach with an `oomph'. Ukyo continued   
to chuckle while she gave him a helping hand up.   
  
"You okay, sugar?"   
  
"I've been better..."   
  
  
  
  
  
"NO! KENJI!"   
  
When Kenji took off, Yuri couldn't imagine what he was doing.   
Then she saw the figure fall off the cliff and Kenji take to the air,   
diving off the cliff after her. In that instant, her heart was wrenched   
in her chest once again.   
  
Stepping up her attacks, she whipped the twin yo-yos around her   
body, whacking a couple in the face and wrapping the lines around a   
second pair. With a mighty heave, she launched the two unlucky wizards   
into the last group, then screamed out her brother's name again as she   
sprinted towards the cliff he had fallen off of.   
  
Ryoga heard the scream and glanced up to see Kenji disappear   
off the cliff. Rage increasing as he fought on, he swung his mighty   
umbrella around and took off like a shot. . Bodies began to fly as   
Ryoga, the unstoppable bullet train, plowed through them.   
  
As he reached the other end of the courtyard, he froze, mere   
inches from striking another individual.   
  
It was Akane.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"UCCHAN!" Ranma yelled as he saw his old friend blown off the   
roof via a particularly large fireball explosion. He   
sprinted to side of the roof and looked down in horror as she began to   
descend off the cliff. Before he could jump after her, a gray figure   
flew off the cliff after her. Then he head Krynn's voice again.   
  
"I told you I am a god now!" he bellowed. "You cannot stop me!"   
  
Ranma turned to face him, dead calm in his voice. "No problem,   
I've already killed one god. What's another one to a godslayer?" In   
anger, he rushed the floating figure, jumping off the building and met   
his opponent in the air, all the while dodging the various attacks Krynn   
threw at him.   
  
Krynn saw him coming and expected Ranma to get close and then   
attack him from behind. After all, that's what the two old ones did.   
That's why he was surprised when Ranma attacked his front.   
  
"KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"   
  
Ranma's fists blurred as he reached his target, delivering   
several hundred punches in the span of only a few seconds. The first   
hundred hit some kind of invisible barrier, but then broke through and   
the remaining ones struck the target. As the attack ended, Ranma grabbed   
ahold of the man and dragged him down as he began to fall.   
  
A split second later, they cratered the ground upon impact.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tofu's entourage burst out of the door, into the open, and were   
presented with a scene of chaos. Explosions were going off, bodies   
laying around, fights happening, golems wandering around, two figures   
impacting the ground, and something flying overhead.   
  
Not that they had their own problems. The group had to work   
their own way through several of the elemental wizards in their haste to   
exit the building and escape. Fortunately, they had help in the way of   
their new friends. Ariko was firing off lightning bolts from her hand   
and Toshi's shadow detached itself and attacked on it's own, taking the   
shape of a large panther.   
  
"Let's move everybody!" Tofu urged the startled group along as   
Ryoga barreled through a group of mages and stopped in front of them.   
  
"Akane-san?" Ryoga gasped, surprised. "I've come to save you!"   
  
"Ryoga-kun, where's Ranma?" Akane asked, worridly.   
  
Ryoga froze as he felt his heart break.   
  
He was saved from further contemplation as a groan emanated   
from the recently created crater and a figure in a tattered red Chinese   
shirt climbed out. As he stood up, Akane gasped and ran over to him.   
  
"Ranma!" she exclaimed while giving him a quick hug. "Are you   
okay?"   
  
He coughed a few times. "Akane! Yeah, I'm fine. I was gonna ask   
you the same thing." He smiled at her and Akane's heart skipped a few   
beats.   
  
"Well, I am NOT okay," a voice growled from behind Ranma.   
Everybody turned to see Krynn float out of the crater. With the   
exception of a little blood that trickled from his lip, he appeared to   
be uninjured. "And I am NOT happy. You insignificant worm, you shall pay   
for touching me!" The fireball storm renewed, directed solely at Ranma.   
  
The pig-tailed martial artist grabbed his fiancee and attempted   
to leap out of the way, but he was a bit too late. Several of the   
projectiles scored hits against his back in mid-air, causing Ranma to   
grunt and grit his teeth in pain. Despite that, he mange to land some   
distance away and set Akane down before collapsing to one knee.   
  
"Akane, get out of here!" he said through clenched teeth.   
  
Akane shook her head. "No, I'm a martial artist, too. I'm going   
to fight."   
  
Ranma looked up at her. "You stupid tomboy! GET OUT OF HERE!"   
  
Akane fumed. "WHAT did you say!? I..."   
  
Ranma stood up and grabbed her by the shoulders. "This isn't a   
game! This guy took out Cologne and Happosai. Let those of us who take   
martial arts seriously and not just as hobby, handle this! All you can   
do is smash bricks and get in the way. Now GO!"   
  
Akane stood there in shock for a few seconds, then slapped   
Ranma across the face. "Ranma no baka," she said softly, then turned and   
ran away crying.   
  
Ranma sighed.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The attack on Ranma and Akane affected two other people. Ryoga   
saw her under attack and immediately became further enraged that anyone   
would hurt her. He yelled his infamous battle cry (PREPARE TO DIE!), and   
charged the attacker. He flipped a few bandannas at the target as a   
precursor, then struck the ground with his finger when he got close.   
  
"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"   
  
The ground exploded and Krynn was pelted with a ton of rock   
fragments. He was forced back a foot or two, but his now-visible, light   
blue translucent, full body shield blocked the rock storm.   
  
Shortly after delivering the attack, Ryoga leapt into the air   
came down with the point of his umbrella, striking the shield above   
Krynn's head. He paused for a few seconds while attempting to push the   
umbrella through the shield, and at first he seemed to be making   
progress. Then Krynn reinforced his barrier, sending a burst of magical   
energy into it.   
  
But id didn't stop there, instead continuing on to travel up   
the shaft of his attacker's umbrella and into Ryoga, the energy backlash   
exploding in a soundless flash of light and sending the lost boy flying   
away.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The second person it affected was Hikaru Gosunkugi. Seeing   
Akane in danger triggered something deep inside him, something he had   
thought was there but never could pull to the surface.   
  
His magic.   
  
All the failed voodoo, spells, rituals, had never given him the   
power he wanted to defend himself against the bullies who picked on him.   
Having been taken by the wizard sect and seeing what they could do,   
Hikaru was almost ready to join them willingly, despite the fact they   
kidnapped him.   
  
Then he saw the one called Krynn attack Akane and only one   
thing mattered: he knew he had to protect her if Saotome couldn't. That   
was why he leapt into action when the floating madman launched his   
second attack.   
  
Kyrnn raged and continued the assault of fireballs at Ranma,   
adding in rock spikes and a hydro blast this time. He wanted that one   
dead, since he could pose the greatest threat.   
  
While Hikaru wouldn't have particularly cared if Saotome died,   
Akane was also in the way and he couldn't let any harm come to her. He   
ran foreword and whipped his hand out, concentrating on the lethal   
barrage of power. An instant before the attack hit, Gos felt the power   
and willed it to act. The fireballs, rock spikes, and water streams   
suddenly veered away at ninety degree angles and landed several yards   
away.   
  
When it was over, Hikaru was a bit shocked on what he had just   
done, but recovered. Turning to face the floating god, he gathered his   
courage, preparing to show Akane what he could do.   
  
He didn't see her run off.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Genma and Mousse had arrived down on the ground by this time,   
and were helping Tofu get the non-combatants to safety. That included   
Kasumi, Soun, Toshi, and Miyo. Genma and Tofu went with them since their   
skills weren't up to the task of battling the powerful figure.   
  
But Ariko stayed behind with Hikaru. When she saw what Gos did,   
she was mightily impressed (not to mention he was kinda cute).   
  
Hey, there's no accounting for taste, right?   
  
Also, the way she had been kidnapped, had all of her magic   
books and items stolen, dragged out of her home, locked up in cell, and   
mistreated, had imprinted upon her a high desire for revenge. She   
decided that now was the best time for payback.   
  
Her situation was similar to Hikaru. All through school she had   
been shunned from all the girl groups because she liked to read and do   
school work as oppose to gossip and go shopping. The same traits also   
made all the boys avoid her, leaving her to grow up alone.   
  
Eventually she stumbled across a magic book in a used books   
store when she was 13 and was intrigued by the possibilities. Three   
years later, she had managed to decipher a bulk of the text and perform   
several spells, a few of which she now knew by heart. She was still   
alone, but now she walked with confidence that she could handle   
anything. That confidence was shattered when she was kidnapped several   
days ago. When she saw what the Gosunkugi boy did, she knew she had   
found a possible kindred spirit.   
  
When Hikaru advanced on the floating figure, she was beside   
him, recalling all the spells she could remember and preparing to do   
battle.   
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma recovered and turned around as Mousse joined him. They   
both saw Hikaru and a strange girl advancing on Krynn and the fallen   
form of Ryoga.   
  
"What does that idiot think he's doing!?" Ranma asked,   
dumbfounded. "He's going to get himself killed! Mousse, go see if you   
can revive Ryoga, I'll go get Gosunkugi."   
  
Mousse nodded and the pair split up.   
  
  
  
  
  
Yuri had stared in awe as her brother flew overhead with   
someone else, heading into the trees. She quickly followed after them.   
She glimpsed the figure holding onto her brother jump off as Kenji   
cleared the outer wall and disappeared into the undergrowth of some   
bushes just beyond. By the time she got there, her brother and the   
strange girl had emerged and were returning to the fray.   
  
"Oniichan!" Yuri glomped her brother. "Don't you ever worry me   
like that again!"   
  
"Oniichan?" Ukyo raised an eyebrow.   
  
Yuri disengaged and Kenji made the introductions.   
  
"Oh, so this is the woman you've had your eye on!" she teased,   
to which Kenji strenously denied.   
  
"Uh, while I'd like to continue this line of conversation, I   
think we had better go and join the fight," he told them, changing the   
subject. "This battle is far from over."   
  
Yuri gave her brother a look that told him this would come up   
later, but she complied and together they began to move back to the   
compound. They passed Tofu's group on the way and picked up their pace   
when they saw Ranma and two others engage Krynn.   
  
  
  
  
  
Happosai slowly opened his eyes. He wasn't aware of how long   
he'd been out, but the little rest had allowed him to recharge some much   
needed ki energy and to heal a bit. He struggled to his feet and walked   
over to Cologne's fallen form. As he approached, he was relived to see   
her still breathing.   
  
"Still alive, eh?" he commented.   
  
Cologne opened her eyes and coughed. "Of course! I've lived for   
300 years and I don't intend on dying today."   
  
Happosai shook his head. "You're a pretty good liar Cologne,   
but I always could see through you. You're only 100. And you're dying."   
  
She laughed bitterly. "I'm surprised I'm still alive. Surely   
you felt the power of that man?"   
  
Happosai nodded. "I know. He's carrying an Elemchrys which is   
granting him the all great powers he's wielding."   
  
"You've got to stop him Happi, I fear the others won't be up to   
the task."   
  
The old master grinned. "I will, but I can't do it alone. I'll   
need your help."   
  
A confused look appeared on the old woman's face, then widened   
in shock. Happosai took a small bottle out from somewhere and drank it.   
Then he began to change.   
"Happi, what have you done?"   
  
"It seems the Nanniichaun water I drank at the wedding has had   
an effect on me," he explained. "I become young by drinking cold water.   
Convenient, ne?" Cologne continued to stare in shock as she realized   
what this meant, but Happosai shook his head as if reading her thoughts.   
"No, it's not a fountain of youth. I'll still age and die on the same   
day, but it does have it's benefits." The thoughts of what the future   
had in store had an effect on him and he knew the carefree days of his   
past was over. He held out another   
small bottle. "Care to join me my love?"   
  
"Happi," Cologne whispered.   
"To be young and healthy again, even if it is just for one day." She   
held out her hand and took his. "I will accept this gift my love."   
  
He dumped the bottle's contents on her and Cologne immediately   
felt different. The pain in her body began to subside as her insides   
healed. She looked at her hand, and watched the wrinkles disappear. 


	10. Chapter 10

Think it's getting good? I do. I just love big battles with multiple  
heros fighting a powerful evil. I really do.  
  
If you want to fight me, let me know: oddball22@hotmail.com  
  
DISCLAIMER: I'll take "DISCLAIMER" for 200, Alex. And the answer is: A  
statement designed to address the issues of copyrighted material while  
avoiding potential lawsuits. *BBRRIINNGG!!* Who is... I mean.. What is  
.. hmmm.... I know this! It's... It's... What is a Dis- *BUZZ!* Dang!  
  
Ahem. Onward...  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Winds Calling  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
  
Akane ran into the  
forest and crouched behind a tree, crying silently to herself.   
  
As soon as she thought the question, she knew the answer, even  
though she didn't want to accept it.   
  
Akane wiped her tears on her sleeve and sniffled. Akane's tears slowly dried up.  
The answer came to her almost  
immediately.   
  
She remembered a time when she was sparring with Ranma and was  
getting angry that he wouldn't fight back. She went through a complex  
series of moves and Ranma dodged them all without moving his feet. In  
anger, she tried a jumping spin kick that also missed, but misjudged her  
landing and twisted her ankle upon landing. After seeing that she was  
okay, Ranma had told her that until she could learn to control her  
anger, she would always be her own greatest enemy. Of course, this made  
her even angrier and she malleted him, completely missing the lesson.  
  
She sighed.  
  
  
She thought back to the latest incident where she was kidnapped  
and taken to Phoenix Mountain. Ranma had fought Saffron and killed him,  
just to save her; yet she had nearly died.   
  
Akane began absently drawing in the dirt with her finger.  
  
That sounded good to her, so she decided to say it out loud.  
  
"I'm Tendo Akane of the Musabetsu Kakuto Tendo-ryu!" she said  
with only a slight hint of indecision. "As such, it's my duty to my dojo  
and to my family to defend our honor and our lives."  
  
I haven't been totally ineffective, she realized.   
  
And that's when she found it: Her center, the calm at the  
center of her being. She changed, the anger seeping away to replaced by  
a renewed sense of purpose. All the lessons and skills she learned over  
the years became fresh in her mind. I can do this! I am a martial  
artist and I know what that means: to defend myself and those I care  
about.  
  
She leapt to her feet, then remembered the cumbersome cloak she  
was wearing, and how it would inhibit her movements. She ripped off the  
sleeves and the hood, then tore off the bottom leaving the bottom  
hanging about mid-thigh.  
  
Tightening the belt, she started towards the compound, her  
thoughts and feelings strangely calm in the face of the impending  
conflict.When she emerged from the treeline, she stopped and took in the  
battle. To her eyes, it did not appear to be going well.  
  
Ranma, Ukyo, Hikaru, Ariko, and another girl she didn't  
recognize were fighting it out with the powerful mage. Mousse, Kenji,  
and Ryoga were down and not moving.   
  
Ukyo, Hikaru, Ariko, and that other girl moved off to one side,  
watching as Ranma went one-on-one with Krynn. Then she realized what he  
was doing and watched in horror as it went terribly wrong.  
  
She renewed her determination and quickly rushed in to join the  
battle.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Farther up the hill, Tofu's group had stopped to rest and  
observe the battle. Soun immediately panicked when he realized one of  
his daughters was missing.  
  
"There she is daddy," Nabiki said, pointing. The group looked to  
see her marching into battle.  
  
Soun, predictably, cried. "Waaaaaaah! My little baby's going to  
get herself killed!"  
  
Kasumi shook him, which surprised everybody present. "Stop that  
father! I've had just about enough of your whining. You're a martial  
artist and the head of this family, it's time you started acting like  
it." Soun promptly stopped crying.  
  
Nabiki looked the least shocked, but it took a lot to get to  
her. "Wow, oneechan, I'm impressed. I never knew you had it in you."  
  
The group watched her as she rose and walked over to the  
doctor, taking a seat on the log beside him. She intertwined his hand  
with hers and smiled tenderly at him.  
  
"Ka-Ka-Kasmui, I-I..." Tofu stammered.  
  
She put her finger over his lips. "That's enough of that, my  
dear doctor. It's worked well enough until now, but there is no need for  
it anymore."  
  
"Kasumi!" Soun exclaimed while Nabiki cheered.  
  
"It may not be proper for a lady to act this way," Kasumi  
replied. "But from watching Ranma and Akane's relationship, I decided it  
was time." She glanced over at Tofu who slowly smiled back at her,  
glasses clear.  
  
Tofu nodded. "Kasmui-chan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?"  
  
Kasumi smiled. "Why I'd love to, Tofu-chan! Next Wednesday  
would be perfect!"  
  
Soun sat down and blubbered silently to himself.  
  
Miyo smiled, while Toshi looked disinterested.  
  
Genma looked back and forth between the couple, dumbfounded.  
  
And Nabiki... Well, Nabiki silently calculated the money she  
would pull in from the betting pool that put odds on how long it would  
take Kasumi and the doc to get together. As well as where, and under  
what conditions.  
  
Yes, she was gonna make a bundle on this one.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Mousse, DUCK!" Ranma yelled, ignoring the pun. Still, it was  
too late. The  
Amazon took a flight of fireballs in the chest and flew backwards to  
land several yards  
away. He didn't get up.  
  
"This isn't working!" Ryoga yelled, blocking another fireball  
with his umbrella.  
  
Another flight of shuriken launched from the Soyokaze siblings  
flew through the air, but failed to breach the shield. It was followed a  
second later by several green glowing spatula's. When they impacted,  
they cut into the translucent blue shield and exploded.  
  
"Where'd you learn to do that!?" Ranma asked her, coming down  
from a jump to land beside the chef.  
  
A strange twinkle appeared in her eye. "Ask me later." Her  
attention turned back to the battle and yelled, "That shield has to  
come down!"  
  
"You cannot defeat me!" Krynn bellowed, while moving around and  
launching fireballs, rock spikes, hydro blasts and wind blasts left and  
right.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Ranma sneered. "You can't defeat us either!" It was  
kinda true. Krynn was extremely powerful, but Ranma's group had numbers  
and forced him to split his attacks. "Ryoga, Kenji, got enough ki to  
join me?"  
  
"Anytime Ranma!" Ryoga answered.  
  
Kenji landed near Ranma after dodging a flight of spikes. "I  
think I can manage another wind strike."  
  
Ranma nodded. "On 3! Everyone else, keep him off of us!"  
  
A lightning bolt flew out of Ranma's peripheral vision and  
impacted the shield. The bolt dissipated, but the electricity traveled  
around the shield, causing Krynn to wince in some discomfort.  
  
"1!"  
  
Ukyo worked her way behind their enemy and readied her battle  
spat'. Concentrating, she felt her creative ki energies flow into the  
weapon, as it took on a greenish glow. Rearing up, she brought it down  
with all her strength. It cut through the shield and lightly scraped his  
back. Krynn growled and sent her sprawling with just a wave.  
  
"2!"  
  
Hikaru thrust out his hand and hit Krynn with an invisible  
telekinetic bolt,  
staggering him and forcing him back.  
  
"3!"  
  
Three martial artists now stood several feet apart and facing  
their foe, energies  
gathered and ready. As soon as Ranma reached three, they released their  
signature attacks.  
Feelings of confidence, depression, and desire united their powers.  
  
"MOKO TAKABISHA!"  
  
"SHISHI HOUKODAN!"  
  
"KIJIN BOUHUUKEN!"  
  
Ranma fired off his ki blast in beam-form, engulfing the target  
when combined with Ryoga's yellow one. Kenji's 200 mph winds slammed  
into the floating madman. They poured the energy on, and for a moment,  
it seemed to be working. The shield changed from bluish to red and began  
to flicker as he was slowly forced back. Then the elemental master  
screamed and retaliated.  
  
Afterwards, they wouldn't know how he did it, but he somehow  
redirected the energies focused on him, back to their senders.  
  
Ryoga's Shishi Houkodan turned back on him and sent the lost  
boy flying, his clothing shredded in various places. The wind blowing  
from Kenji, reversed direction and impacted his body, picking him up and  
slamming him into a wall. Yuri screamed and ran over to the fallen form  
of her brother.  
  
Ranma was a bit faster. He realized what was going on and  
managed a leaping roll to avoid the ki blast returning to him.  
  
He quickly regained his feet. He leapt out of  
the way of another attack.   
  
He made his way over to Ukyo and let her know what he planned  
to do. She nodded and ran over to Gos, Ariko, and Yuri to fill them in  
on the plan while Ranma engaged Krynn at close range.  
  
"Hey Krynn!" Ranma yelled. "How about we finish this, just you  
and me?"  
  
The wizard smiled. "Whatever you say, just keep them out of  
it." He indicated the only other three people standing.  
  
Ranma nodded. "They won't do anything until one of us is  
defeated."  
  
"Then let us begin!"  
  
The two adversaries charged each other began the deadly gambit  
of punches, kicks, feints, dodges, and counterattacks. Ranma struck the  
shield over and over again, but failed to bring it down. He couldn't  
risk another chestnut fist, since he was already drained from before and  
he needed all his ki if what he had planned was gonna work.  
  
"What's he doing?" Hikaru asked Ukyo, his new confidence fueling  
him. "I know Saotome's good, but he can't penetrate the shield!"  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "He doesn't need to." She watched him as  
they battle around the courtyard, moving around and around. In a circle.  
  
Or more appropiately, a spiral.  
  
Ukyo  
realized.  
  
Ranma had to admit, Krynn was giving as good as he got. Maybe  
even better since his shield prevented any of Ranma's blows from getting  
through. Still, he noticed Krynn wince everytime Ranma struck.   
  
"You know, for some sort of kami, you're pretty pathetic," he  
said offhand. "I mean, here you are, claiming to be all powerful, and  
you can't even beat a few kids..."  
  
"Shut up!" He snarled. "I'll kill you and rip your intestines  
out."  
  
Ranma laughed. "I'd like to see you try it. So far, all I've  
seen is some fireworks and pitiful boasting on your part."  
  
"I said, SHUT UP!" He practically screamed it. "You are nothing  
before me! You are an insect!"  
  
Ranma grinned. The knife was in, and now to twist it. He  
narrowed his eyes. "At least this insect doesn't hide behind a  
shield..."  
  
Krynn snarled, screamed, yelled, and generally said a whole  
long string of nasties that would make a sailor blush with shame.  
  
And then the shield flickered.  
  
He focused his cool  
energies in opposition to Krynn's now hot and angry aura.   
  
"HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"  
  
He punched upwards, missing Krynn. But of course, Ranma didn't  
need to make actual physical contact for it to work. The hot and cold  
air mingled and the dragon formed. The ensuing tornado began to suck the  
wizard into itself, shattering the shield. At first he was resisting and  
Ranma had to fight to keep his cool energy flowing. But eventually,  
Krynn was drawn into the dragon's whirlwind, but not before grabbing  
onto Ranma's outstretched arm and pulling him into it as well.  
  
Ranma grunted as the biting winds sucked his breath out even  
while they pulled him to the top of the twister. Krynn hit the apex  
first and began his rapid descent, Ranma following a second later. he thought grimly.   
  
That hope died as he saw Krynn's body shield flicker into  
existence a split second before the tornado slammed him into the ground.  
Ranma's turn was next, and he braced himself.  
  
The last thing he remembered was striking the concrete and  
blacking out.  
  
  
  
  
  
"RANMA!" Akane screamed as she joined Ukyo in running towards  
the body.  
  
The twister dissipated once it disgorged it's victims, allowing  
the two girls to get to Ranma unharmed. They knelt down beside him after  
turning him onto his back. Akane raised her fiancee's head and held it  
in her lap.  
  
"Ranma," she begged, tears staining her cheeks. "Please Ranma,  
be okay."  
  
Ukyo felt his neck. "He's still got a pulse, but he's hurt  
bad." She felt his chest next. "I'd guess fractured ribs, and maybe an  
arm and a leg. These bruises and cuts are superficial. It's the internal  
damage I'm worried about. Ranchan`s tough; any other person would have  
been dead by now. He put up one hell of a fight."  
  
Akane could only nod silently while she stroked his hair and  
his cheek. She shook her head.  
  
"I love you, Ranma," she said softly. "Please come back to me.  
Don't leave me." She bent down and kissed his forehead.  
  
Ranma's body stirred. "Akan-ne?"  
  
Akane stared in shock, then smiled and hugged him fiercely.  
  
Ranma winced. "Ouch! Hey, tomboy, leggo!."  
  
Akane gasped and let go. "Gomen. But don't ever scare me like  
that again!"  
  
He blinked his eyes open. "Did you... Did you mean that?"  
  
Akane remembered Kasumi's words, `Have you told him you love  
him?' Tears still streaming down her face, she nodded. "Don't ever leave  
me, please?"  
  
"I'm glad someone is enjoying this," the hated voice rang out.  
"Because we seem to be running out of heroes."  
  
Ukyo rose and turned around, hoisting her battle spatula into a  
ready position. Akane looked up in horror to see Krynn rising above the  
ground once more, translucent blue barrier in place.  
  
"How!?" Ukyo asked. "You shouldn't be alive, it's not possible!"  
  
The wizard grinned. "Indeed, if I were a mere mortal, then I  
would be in the same predicament as your Ranma there. Quite an  
interesting boy, really. He had a lot of fight in him. Very strong for  
one so young." He waved his hand. "But ultimately futile." Yuri, Hikaru,  
and Ariko started to launch their attacks, but were struck by an  
invisible force and sent rolling along the ground by a simple gesture  
from Krynn. All three collapsed. "And now it's down to you two. Feel  
like trying your luck?"  
  
Ukyo gritted her teeth, even as she swung her green glowing  
battle spatula. Something exploded between the two and Ukyo was sent  
flying to land a several yards behind Akane. The wizard grinned at her,  
as if daring her to try something.  
  
Akane gently placed Ranma's head on the ground, then slowly  
stood up.  
  
"That's the last time you hurt my friends," she said silently.  
"Give up now."  
  
Krynn laughed. "Oh that's funny! I sense even less power in you  
than in your boyfriend there. What makes you think you have a chance?"  
  
"He's not my boyfriend," she said. Ranma's eyes widened and his  
head came up to stare at her. "He's my fiance." Ranma's head hit the  
ground with a *thunk*. She assumed an attack posture.  
  
He shrugged. "Same difference. Well, if you're that insistent,  
let's go."  
  
Akane went through all the attack and defense tactics in her  
mind, rating them and putting them together to decide which way to  
proceed. She felt her ki gathering, preparing to power the attacks that  
would put this guy out for good. Her crimson battle aura flared into  
existance.  
  
Without warning, images of her attack as a tiger flashed into  
her mind, and somehow she knew what to do. She bent her knees and held  
her hands in front of her like a boxer, except that her knuckles were  
facing her and fingers were crooked. Words tumbled from her lips  
  
Krynn leaned foreword. "Hmmm? I didn't catch that. What did you  
say?"  
  
Akane looked at him. "I said, Tora Dokiken!"  
  
Ranma blinked.   
  
The wizard looked confused, until Akane's aura flashed gold.  
Then, before he knew what had happened, she was on him. Her punches and  
kicks exploded in a shower of sparks everytime they struck the shield.  
Krynn couldn't counter, because Akane was moving fast, too fast.  
  
Ranma turned his head and stared in shock. Akane gold aura  
intensified as layed into her opponent. She was moving as fast, if not  
faster than Ranma himself. Sparks were flying everywhere as she battered  
him around the area. The one or two strikes Krynn got in, were easily  
knocked aside by the glowing girl. With a flash of insight, Ranma  
suddenly realized what was happening.  
  
For the first time, she was focusing her ki, something she had  
never consciously done before. He had seen Akane display an impressive  
battle aura before, which was just generated ki flowing off a highly  
charged body. It was mainly an unconscious effect, though he noticed she  
had channeled her ki in rare instances before, like whenever she broke  
her cement blocks, or was really worked up over something and got into a  
fight.  
  
But now, she was channeling the full power of her ki into her  
body, hyper-enhancing every aspect, from offensive power to speed to  
defensive strength. The technique she was apparently using would have  
one serious drawback though. If she didn't finish her opponent before  
her ki ran out, she would be helpless. Ranma used ki to strengthen his  
punches and kicks too, but nowhere near the degree she was doing now.  
  
Akane continued the furious assault until it happened. Her fist  
found an opening in the shield and landed a body blow. Krynn doubled  
over in pain by the sheer power of the impact.  
  
More shield strikes, then a head blow.  
  
A few more shield strikes and another body blow.  
  
Akane knew she was running out of power and had to end this  
soon. Gathering all her strength into one last attack, Akane brought her  
right fist foreword, aiming for the chest. It struck the shield, but  
instead of glancing off in a shower of sparks, she kept up the pressure  
and slowly began to work through the barrier.  
  
Krynn saw her fist, pulsing with golden ki energy, working  
slowly through the barrier and moving toward him. However, he was hurt  
pretty bad from the previous strikes and all his energy was being  
drained to maintain the shield.  
  
He couldn't stop her.  
  
With a final push, Akane shattered the shield and landed the  
hyper-punch. There was a flash of light, an explosion, then Krynn was  
launched backward, impacting the building behind him. That only slowed  
his movement slightly, and he ended up flying through several walls  
before coming to a stop.  
  
The gold aura finally winked out and Akane, exhausted, dropped  
to her knees. Ranma wanted to cheer. She had done it! She had done what  
all of them combined couldn't do! Ranma's ego popped in. Ranma  
countered.  
  
"Alright Akane!"  
  
Ranma turned to watch the people who had escaped earlier emerge  
from the treeline and start walking toward them. That voice belonged to  
Nabiki. She was just about to say something else, when she froze, the  
group with her mirroring her frozen state.  
  
Ranma followed their line of sight to see what they were  
staring at. Krynn had emerged from the building. He was  
breathing heavily and leaning on the wall. One eye was closed, all black  
and puffy, thanks to the head blow Akane had worked in. His left hand  
was clutching his stomach. He left the wall and started towards Akane  
staggering a bit.  
  
"You little bitch," he spat. "You'll pay for that!"  
  
"Akane!" Ranma yelled. He tried to move or get up, but his body  
refused to obey him.  
  
"We got it, boy!" Genma yelled.  
  
"I'm coming, too," Tofu added.  
  
The two started forward, but Krynn used a more powerful version  
of Kenji's inherited wind blast technique on them. The strong gale  
slammed into them and the people behind them. The group smashed together  
and went tumbling into the trees. He then continued his advance on Akane  
and Ranma watched in horror as he viciously backhanded her across the  
face, sending her to the ground in pain. He then seized her throat and  
began to squeeze.  
  
"AKANE!" Ranma screamed.  
  
It was Jusendo all over again. In his mind, he was on that  
ledge, but this time she didn't wake up and he was holding her lifeless  
form. Gritting his teeth,  
he pushed himself up. All of his nerves echoed the same burning  
sensation to his brain, and his body protested his actions. But he was  
focused only on one goal, the girl with the short, dark blue hair in  
front of him.  
  
"Leave... her... alone!"  
  
Krynn smirked. "I see you think you've got some fight left. But  
it won't be enough."  
  
Ranma continued to advance, ignoring the throbbing pain in his  
body that threatened to black him out. "I said, Let Her Go!"  
  
The smirk changed to a frown and his grip loosened, allowing  
Akane to breath. "Why? Why should I do that? What's so special about  
this girl?"  
  
The pained martial artist stopped, and locked gazes with Akane.  
"Because she's my fiancee. And..."   
"I love her."  
  
Against the sounds of battle that were heard earlier, the sound  
of silence that now permeated the battlefield was deafening.  
  
The self-proclaimed kami laughed once, not happily. "Love? What  
is love? It's a crutch for the weak! Those of us who are strong have no  
need for love!"  
  
"That's what I used to think," Ranma said quietly, his gaze  
never leaving Akane's. "But I was wrong." He looked back up to Krynn.  
"End this. There is no need for us to fight anymore. Please."  
  
For once, the black-robed wizard looked uncertain. His hands  
came away from Akane's neck and he appeared to be fighting some sort of  
internal battle. thought the black-robed wizard. I  
nearly became as power-mad and insane as Garon.  
  
A nearby wall exploded, shattering the moment.  
  
The hole that remained in the nearby building disgorged two  
figures after the smoke cleared. They were glowing a faint blue and  
holding hands. Ranma's brain nagged him with a very strange sense that  
said he knew who they were, but he couldn't place them.  
  
Both figures appeared to be in their late 20s. One was a young  
woman about 5'6" in height with light blue hair that streched to her  
waist. The other was a young man wth short black hair, and seemed  
slightly shorter than 5'. Both appeared quite good looking, and somehow  
seemed to belong together.  
  
"Don't worry m'boy, your old master wouldn't let anything happen  
to the two heirs to the Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu," Happosai said.  
  
"Actually he's going to marry Shampoo, but that's not important  
right now," Cologne added. "Let us handle him, Ranma. Or should I call  
you son-in-law?"  
  
Ranma jaw dropped. "Happosai?... and Cologne!?" 


	11. Chapter 11

Here it is! The final chapter in this story arc! Look for (blatant story  
plug warning) Ranma 1/2 New Challenges: All That We Have Known. This is  
the next story arc in my continuation fic. And don't worry, I got plenty  
of ideas of what I wanna put the Ranma 1/2 crew through, so there should  
be plenty of extra stories.  
  
Got milk? E-mail me: oddball22@hotmail.com  
  
DISCLAIMER: Ranma fanfics... The final frontier... These are the voyages  
of the Ranma crew... It's 5 year mission to take the characters through  
areas of life Takahashi never dreamed... and through some that would  
maker her cry...  
  
Oh, and this chapter has a lime warning. Nothing explicit, but suggested  
activity `off-screen' so to speak.  
  
Onward...  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Winds Calling  
  
Chapter 11  
  
  
  
  
"That's enough for today young man," Cologne stated while  
walking foreword, still hand-in-hand with the now-young man known as  
Happosai.  
  
"Why don't you leave these kids alone?" Happosai suggested.  
"After all, you don't have much left."  
  
Krynn seemed to contemplate this for a minute, all the while  
breathing heavily. In that instant, the crystal around his neck  
reasserted it's control.  
  
The Elemchrys was orginially designed as a magic-absorbant  
crystal. Basically, it worked like a sponge. Garon discovered how to  
make one in an ancient text, and thought it would be the perfect way to  
increase his power. What he didn't know was, while it absorbed magic, it  
also absorbed emotions, since magic is linked to the state of mind  
similiar to one's ki. In this case, it had absorbed the anger, anuguish,  
and fear of three of the wizard sect lords.  
  
As Kyrnn tapped it for the power, the emotions came along for  
the ride. And he had been using it liberally for the past hour, so that  
now it was incredibly difficult for him to seperate his own emotions  
from the ones the Elemchrys was sending him.  
  
Having seemingly come to a decision, he laughed. "Nice try,  
Ranma. Stalling me while your two friends come to help." He stood up.  
"You think I'm helpless now, do you?" He ripped off his robe revealing a  
black tank top and trousers underneath. The blue crystal was suspended  
on a chain around his neck. "I still have one last card to play, though  
I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. Make no mistake, I will not die  
here today."  
  
Ranma, who was beginning to think he was getting through to the  
wizard, sensed that Krynn's attitude had now changed, and something very  
bad was about to happen. "No, Kyrnn, don't!"  
  
In one fluid motion, Kyrnn broke the crystal off it's chain and  
plunged it into his chest. He was immediately surrounded by a multi-  
colored sphere and he screamed in pain as energy formed crackled around  
him, streaming from the dark blue shard in his upper torso.  
  
Then he began to change.  
  
His body grew in size by several feet and his skin color turned  
green. Spikes erupted out of his spine, and a lizard like tail burst out  
of his pants. His jaw enlarged to accomodate several rows of razor sharp  
teeth. The extra bulk to his chest ripped his tank top off and his hands  
grew in size, clawed tips adorning his fingers. When his eyes opened,  
they burned with crimson hellfire.  
  
There was a final flash, and when it was over, those who were  
watching the transformation stared in horror at the new monstrosity now  
standing before them. The blue crystal was firmly embedded in his chest,  
above his sternum.  
  
When he spoke, his voice was now much deeper. "Look upon me and  
fear, mortals. I cannot be defeated now. I am now a force of nature,  
untamed."  
  
Cologne shook her head. "You can and will be defeated. You may  
have attained the power you sought, but you lost your humanity in the  
process. And that is the greatest power of all."  
  
"Couldn't have said it better, my love," Happosai added. "Shall  
we?"  
  
Cologne nodded and they kissed deeply, shocking Ranma, Akane,  
and anyone else who could see it. Eventually, their lips parted. Facing  
their opponent, they gathered their energies, battle auras flinging into  
existence.  
  
Then the final battle began.  
  
Krynn shot a long stream of fire from his mouth at the glowing  
couple and they separated, running in opposite directions. When they had  
gone far enough, they redirected their paths and struck the creature and  
the same time, backing it up, and ticking it off.  
  
As the new battle progressed, Ranma realized that he and his  
friends were spread over the battlefield and could get killed by an  
errant attack. They needed to get out of here. He heard a noise to his  
left and saw Ukyo crawl over to him.  
  
"We need to get out of here Ucchan," Ranma told her. "Can you  
stand?"  
  
"I think so," she replied. "I blocked most of his attack with my  
spatula, so I was just winded from hitting the ground."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Good, then we need to get people out of here.  
Start with Ryoga."  
  
"But what about you Ranchan?"  
  
"I'm gettin' Akane," he told her and started to walk in that  
direction. "I ain't lettin' anything happen to her ever again."  
  
"Ranchan..." A determined look appeared on her face and she set  
about her task.  
  
As Ukyo got up and walked over to Ryoga, Ranma headed for his  
fiancee. He managed to reach her, the pain lessening somewhat. Or maybe  
he was just becoming accustomed to the pain and his mind had dulled it.  
He dropped to his knees beside Akane and looked at her.  
  
She gazed back up to him; fear, love, and worry all etched on  
her face. "Ranma."  
  
"Akane," he answered back quietly. He wanted to say more, but  
realized this wasn't the time. "Can you stand?"  
  
"I don't know," she replied. "I'll try." Her face contorted as  
she sat up. A wave of dizziness and weakness set in as she sat fully up,  
and threatened to send her back down to the ground. Ranma somehow sensed  
this and supported her with his right arm. "I... don't think I get  
manage much more than this." Something exploded nearby causing the  
couple to brace while they were pelted with debris. "Just leave me,  
Ranma. Save yourself."  
  
Anger flashed across his face. "I ain't gonna do that, Akane. I  
ain't givin' you up, not now, not ever. You got that?"  
  
She turned her face up to look at him, their lips inches apart.  
Both were tempted to close the distance, but another nearby eruption  
shattered the moment.  
  
"We gotta go, Akane. Hold on." Draping his arm around her, he  
muscled all his strength and managed to drag her to her feet. Akane  
clutched onto him for dear life, and to steady the fresh round of  
vertigo that assaulted her.  
  
Together, they slowly began to move out of the compound.  
  
Glancing around, Ranma noticed Ukyo, Ryoga, and Mousse helping  
each other, and they were already up to the hillside group. One girl,  
who he didn't know, was helping Kenji. Hikaru was helping another  
unknown girl. All of them were well away from the battlefield.  
  
That only left him and Akane.  
  
They stumbled as another concussion rocked the compound, and  
Ranma dropped to one knee. [I just don't have the strength to so this.]  
He glanced over at Akane, who's eyes were closed. [But I have to, or  
else...]  
  
Then, a shadow was over them and Ranma braced. He felt himself  
being lifted up and he looked at the face. It was Cologne. The younger,  
bustier, drop-dead gorgeous Cologne. "Can't let you die here, son-in-  
law." She wrapped them both in each arm, then leapt into the air, coming  
down outside the wall.  
  
"Would you please not call me that?" Ranma pleaded. "No offense  
to your  
great-granddaughter, but I ain't marrying her."  
  
He expected a lecture or a bop on the head. Instead, she  
laughed. "Of course, Ranma. I've known for awhile that you would never  
marry Shampoo." She laid him down on the grass, next to the passed-out  
Akane. "My great-grandaughter has a lot to learn before she becomes a  
council matriarch and I used this time in Japan to teach her many  
things. I know your nature and know that you would never make a good  
Amazon husband. You are strong, but do not have the meek or submissive  
nature required." She winked at him. "Plus, if I had really desired that  
you marry Shampoo, it would have been done and you would be in China  
now.  
  
"No, I know you are only have eyes for another, I believe you  
know who." She chuckled. "I can tell you that you've provided me with  
the best entertainment I've had in years!" She glanced back at the  
battle. "Well, enough talk. I have to get back. Happi can only fend him  
off for so long." She kissed his forehead. "I'm pleased to have met you,  
Ranma. You have a powerful destiny ahead of you, live well and don't  
take life too seriously!" And then she was gone.  
  
Ranma took a few minutes to digest all that she had said. [So,  
she knows I wouldn't be a good husband to Shampoo in Amazon society.  
Still, the law continues to bind Shampoo and direct her actions. She  
still will have to marry me unless I do something about it.] He touched  
his throbbing head. [Well, can't think too much now. I'll worry about it  
later.]  
  
"Ranma?" a voice said next to him. He looked over to see Akane's  
face turned toward him.  
  
"How are you feelin'?" he asked, looking at her.  
  
"I'm doing okay, just feeling a bit weak." He understood. She  
had used almost all of her ki and would have to rest until she got it  
back. "What did Cologne say to you?"  
  
Ranma sighed. He was tired. "Tell ya later. Let's just save our  
strength in case  
Happosai and Cologne can't finish this guy."  
  
She nodded, and found the strength to lay her head in the crook  
of his shoulder. Ranma started a bit at the move, but soon relaxed and  
found that he like the way she was leaning against him. They were soon  
joined by others. Nobody said anything as everyone was captivated by the  
super battle raging in the distance.  
  
Cologne and Happosai were blurs as they rushed in and out,  
striking various points along Krynn's body before speeding out again.  
Occaisonally, one or both of them would let loose a ki-blast that  
staggered the monstrosity. The creature known as Krynn wasn't moving as  
much, but he was tearing up the place with all sorts of fireballs and  
energy blasts.  
  
And he was quick for such a big guy, too. Every now and then,  
he'd hit one of them with and fireball or a clawed hand and one of the  
two would go flying away. He wasn't able to follow up on it, however, as  
the other would leap in and distract him.  
  
Ranma wondered how long it could go on before something gave.  
[Wait a minute. What are they doing now?]  
  
  
  
  
  
"They're all out of the way now, Happi," Cologne called, while  
retreating from a backhanded claw strike.  
  
Happosai rushed in and delivered an uppercut that staggered the  
beast, before jumping away again. "Well then, shall we end this? Even my  
fists are getting sore from hitting his steel hide over and over again."  
  
Cologne launched a ki blast against the creature's backside.  
"I'm ready anytime you are." Her visage saddened. "I'm only sorry we  
have to do this, but I suppose I should go first."  
  
"I know what you mean, love," Happi replied. "But we'll be  
together again soon."  
  
Cologne nodded, then began circling the creature with Happosai.  
Their paths formed a perfect circle around it, leaving Krynn in the  
center and very confused about what was going on.  
  
"Behold, a technique formed through 3000 years of Amazon  
history," Cologne intoned.  
  
"A technique co-developed and perfected by the founder of the  
Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu," Happosai added.  
  
"What are you doing!?" Krynn demanded. He bathed half the area  
in flames from his mouth, but the attack seemed ineffectual against the  
two circling martial artists.  
  
Cologne continued. "A technique so powerful, it was banned by  
the Amazon counsel and forbidden except in the most dire and extreme  
circumstances."  
  
"A technique sealed away, not to be used unless absolutely  
necessary," said Happosai. "Even I never attempted to use it."  
  
"We now invoke this technique for use against you, since you  
have broken the laws of nature itself, by drawing too much magic for  
your own personal use. We now use the..." She paused and then spoke the  
next few words at the same time as Happosai.  
  
"RAVAGING DRAGON'S HEART!" they said in unison.  
  
  
  
  
  
Up on the hill, Ranma heard the words and saw white spheres  
engulf the two martial artists as they continued to circle the creature.  
Then, white lightning began to flow back and forth between the spheres  
and the creature. Krynn writhed in pain, but couldn't do much besides  
spasm. The two continued to circle and were now moving so fast, they  
only appeared to be a white blur that encircled Krynn.  
  
The lightning intensified, and was now mixed with some black  
energy. The creature began to howl loudly as it clutched it's chest in  
pain.  
  
"What in the world are they doing?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Mousse shook his head. "I don't know. I've neither seen nor  
heard of this technique, and I doubt Shampoo has either."  
  
"The master never spoke of it to me," Genma added.  
  
"Whatever it is, I can sense the power in it from way up here,"  
Ranma said.  
  
"Ara!" Kasumi exclaimed, and it was echoed by numerous others.  
  
The creature continued to cry out as a black sphere slowly  
engulfed it from within. It continued to spread until the beast could no  
longer be seen. Then, without warning, it shrunk down to a speck,  
disappeared, and Krynn was gone.  
  
That's when the battle zone exploded.  
  
A white sphere of exploding energy expanded outward from the  
center and engulfed the compound. It would have gone farther, but it was  
apparently stopped by a field the two now-unseen martial artists were  
generating. Everyone had to shield their eyes from the bright light.  
When it faded, most of the compound and the cliff was gone. Just gone.  
Only a couple of half-demolished buildings remained.  
  
And there was no sign of either Happosai or Cologne.  
  
"Are they... gone?" Ukyo asked out loud after a few moments.  
  
Ranma laughed once, trying to break the tension. "Somehow, I  
don't see something like that is enough to kill those two. I think we'll  
be seeing them again."  
  
"I suppose you're right," Akane said softly. [Still, I do have a  
very strange feeling about all of this.]  
  
Further thoughts were put on hold by the sound of approaching  
sirens. Several police cars and ambulances raced down the road and  
pulled up to the front gate of the compound. Dozens of officers piled  
out and began to round up the remaining mages. Two others left a car and  
ran toward to Nerima team.  
  
Ranma's face brightened. "MOM!" he called out.  
  
"Shampoo!" Mousse yelled and ran to embrace her. To his  
surprise, she embraced him back as well. And she was crying. "What's  
wrong?"  
  
"Great-grandmother," she said through tears. "She gone."  
  
"How do you know that?" he asked her. But Shampoo didn't say  
anymore.  
  
Nodoka embraced her husband and son, before paramedics arrived  
and began to treat the injured. Celebrations and reunions were put on  
hold as several of the Nerima combat team were placed on stretchers and  
loaded into ambulances. As they were rushed to the nearest hospital,  
Ranma couldn't help but feel relieved that it was over.  
  
[Yet at what cost?] He thought back to what Shampoo had said.  
[Was the old ghoul really gone?] He could scarcely believe that. [And if  
she was, what about the old freak? I always thought those two would be  
around long after I was dead.]  
  
Ranma's thoughts drifted off as he relaxed into a deep and  
refreshing sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
Happosai layed Cologne down on the ground and felt her pulse.  
She was still alive, but she had used all the rest of her power with  
that technique, and now had none to save herself. Her body would not be  
able to sustain her lifeforce for very long. He brushed the hair from  
her face and looked into her eyes. They were both still in their younger  
forms.  
  
"Happi?" she said softly. "Are you still there?"  
  
"Shhh, my love," he replied. "I won't leave you. Just rest."  
  
She grabbed a hold of his hand with hers and held it to her  
cheek. "Oh Happi, after all this time. Why now? Why couldn't we have  
done this a long time ago?"  
  
Happosai hesitated. "We tried, but I messed it up. I developed  
that ki recharge technique and let it consume me. I was still raging  
with hormones back then and wasn't strong enough to control it. It  
became my perversion. I-I'm sorry, Cologne."  
  
"It's okay, Happi. I forgave you awhile ago. It really was my  
fault. I loved you deeply, but let my fear of the Amazon council rule  
me. When they decreed you must be chased out of the village and killed,  
I became a coward and listened to them. I should've run away with you  
and helped you control it."  
  
"It had to be done," Happosai said quietly. "They won't be  
looking for you now. I plan to stick around for a few weeks, before I  
too disappear. It would be too suspicious if we both went."  
  
"You're going to teach Ranma and Akane, then?"  
  
Happosai nodded. "Yes, I kept calling myself Ranma's master,  
but I never did much to teach or help him. Hopefully, he'll be ready  
before I go and I can safely pass on my techniques." He chuckled. "Genma  
and Soun never did understand. It's up to Ranma and Akane now."  
  
Cologne kissed his hand pulled him down to her. "I've still got  
the rest of the day left and I want to spend it with you. So that you  
can make it the next three weeks in peace." She began to take off her  
robe and Happosai's eyes widened. "You can have me if you want, Happi. I  
want to do this for you."  
  
"Cologne, I-I don't know what to say," he said softly. "That you  
would do this willingly for an old man. I love you Cologne."  
  
Cologne smiled wryly. "You're not exactly an old man at the  
moment. Nor am I an old woman." Her face softened. "I love you too,  
Happi."  
  
They embraced and began to kiss passionately.  
  
(Authors note: There, a Happosai and Cologne lemon scene. Well,  
lime at least. Have you seen that in any other Ranma fanfics? Bet you  
haven't... Did you think I was actually gonna spill out all the details?  
I'm not that perverted... yet. If you want hentai stories, I'm sure  
you'll find plenty of them out there. And if someone wants to write a  
lemon side story to this, go right ahead. Just let me know in advance.  
So now, back to the show!)  
  
  
  
  
  
A couple days later, the group was gathered in one of the  
larger recovery wards of the hospital. In fact, this special ward was  
dedicated to the martial artists of Nerima, because, while they may  
cause quite a bit a property damage, they were always quick to repay it  
and the streets had became a whole lot safer. Random muggings, hold ups,  
robberies, and the like had dwindled to practically nothing as word was  
spread in the underground to avoid the little ward of Tokyo. So,  
whenever one of them came in with an injury, the hospital staff was  
quick to treat them and treat them well, because of all the good they  
had done.  
  
Now, the beds were occupied by Ranma, Akane, Ryoga, Kenji, and  
Mousse, who were all recovering with various injuries. Akane was just  
heavily fatigued, Mousse had some bad burns (again) and sore muscles,  
almost the same as Ryoga. Kenji and Ranma got the worst of it. Kenji had  
a concussion and some internal damage that required surgery, since he  
wasn't as tough as the others. Ranma had a broken left arm from where he  
impacted the pavement. He also have some fractured ribs, some light  
internal damage, and a mild concussion as well.  
  
They talked and laughed and made introductions to those they  
didn't know. Even the four members of the magic circle showed up. That's  
what Mio, Hikaru, Ariko, and Toshi were calling themselves now. In a  
strange way, they had their kidnappers to thank for bringing them  
together. They all had a common interest, magics and mystics, but none  
knew martial arts, and that uniquely bound them together. They decided  
to form their own special little club to practice their mystical stuff.  
  
Their first priority was to retrieve their magic books and  
items. It wasn't going to be easy since the police had confiscated  
everything, but eventually they were able toget their stuff back.  
  
Even Kuno and Kodachi came by to visit Akane and Ranma  
respectively. After paying their respects and spouting some poetry, they  
left. But not before leaving a bouquet of red roses for Akane and a  
bouquet of black roses for Ranma. Ranma incinerated his with a ki blast  
after they left, not wanting to take any chances with any hidden poisons  
or powders to which everyone laughed. Akane quickly let Ranma do the  
same to hers since you never knew what to expect with Kodachi.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Several days later, Akane, Mousse, and Ryoga were well enough  
to leave the hospital, leaving Ranma and Kenji in one room by  
themselves.  
  
"So, Kenji," the pig-tailed martial artist called, trying to  
make some conversation to pass the time.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How was your trip?"  
  
"Heh, you met my sister, right?" He had grown comfortable with  
his sister by now, having learned to deal with the new emotions. And,  
truth be told, he kinda liked them.  
  
"Yeah, she's pretty cute."  
  
Pause.  
  
"I hope you're not thinking of moving in her, Saotome," Kenji  
replied, darkly. "If you do, I'll have to break your legs."  
  
"Chill, Kenji, I've got a fiancee," Ranma said.  
  
"From what I understand, you've got three fiancees. Don't make  
it four."  
  
Ranma chuckled. "You got me there." Actually, he really  
considered himself as having only one, the only one that mattered.  
Akane. Not only was the Tendo engagement the oldest, being made before  
they were born, but he couldn't see himself with anyone else. "So, you  
managed to get along with Ryoga?"  
  
Kenji shrugged. "He's still planning on killing me. If I don't  
kill him first."  
  
"Yeah, Ryoga can have that effect on people," Ranma said with a  
smile. "But he's not so bad, really. He'll fight ya and beat ya to a  
pulp, but he wouldn't kill ya."  
  
"That remains to be seen."  
  
"You still planning on kill me?" Ranma asked.  
  
There was a moment of silence, then Kenji chuckled. "I'm at  
least gonna beat you to pulp."  
  
Ranma chuckled with him. "Deal."  
  
The door opened just then, and a nurse stepped in. "Saotome-  
san, it's time for your walk."  
  
Kenji sighed. "Lucky stiff."  
  
"Now, Soyokaze-san, you know your internal injuries prevent too  
much movement for the next several days, at least," the nurse informed  
him as she got Ranma up and began to walk him out of the room, an IV  
machine rolling along beside him.  
  
"See ya in a few, Kenji!" Ranma waved as he left.  
  
The door closed and Kenji was alone in the darkened room. He  
wasn't alone long, though. Another nurse informed him he had a visitor,  
and admitted a girl with long chestnut hair into the room.  
  
"Soyokaze," she said after the nurse left. "That's your family  
name, isn't it?"  
  
"Um, yeah."  
  
"That's great." Ukyo walked over to the side of his bed and  
looked at him, her face unreadable.  
  
Then she slapped him. Hard enough to leave a little sting, but  
light enough as to not cause any additional injuries.  
  
"What was that for!?" he demanded.  
  
She crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you think? I risk  
my life to save you and you just take off!?"  
  
"I went to find my family!" he countered.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Riiiight. You knew your family wasn't  
going anywhere, so why couldn't you wait a few days for me to wake up?  
No, it's `Thanks for the assist, Ukyo, but I have to hightail it while  
you're unconscious.' Well, thanks a lot for caring."  
  
Kenji blinked. "But I found my sister..."  
  
"Who's really nice and sweet and nothing like you," she finished  
for him. "I spent some time getting to know her over the past several  
days, and I find it hard to believe you two are related."  
  
A few moments of silence passed, during which Kenji found  
himself feeling really terrible. For some reason, these words of anger  
and disapproval coming from Ukyo hurt worse than the injuries he had  
sustained during the last fight.  
  
"I'm sorry?" he offered, weakly.  
  
She exploded. "Damn you, Soyokaze! I actually cared about you a  
little and I fought for you! Then I wake up and find you gone!" Tears  
appeared in her eyes. "I come back to my restaurant, my home, only  
nobody's there! Maybe you like to feel alone, but not all of us do!"  
  
"But Ranma and Akane..."  
  
"One is my fiancee, and the other a rival for him!" She turned  
away from him, determined not to let him see her cry. She dried her  
tears and continued in a quieter tone. "I didn't really have anyone to  
talk to with Konatsu gone and Ranchan spending most of his time with  
Akane. I don't know why, but I was actually looking forward to talking  
to you more."  
  
Kenji looked up. "Really?"  
  
She laughed bitterly. "Yes. But what's the point. I don't know  
why I'm telling you this, since you're just a loner who'll take off  
again." She began to move for the door.  
  
"Actually, I'm planning to stick around for quite awhile," Kenji  
said softly. She stopped, and he knew he had to make his next words  
count. "While I was away, I was thinking about you. Because of your  
help, I'm alive today, and I can't thank you enough for that. I know my  
sister is extremely happy about it." He paused and sighed. "She's helped  
to see some things more clearly, and one of those is that, maybe, I care  
about you, too. Just a little."  
  
She turned around. "Really? You're not just saying that?"  
  
Kenji shook his head. "In addition to Ranma and Akane, you made  
me feel welcome when I didn't know where I was or what I was doing. I  
was... scared. I didn't know who anyone was, so I didn't want to let  
anyone in."  
  
Ukyo walked back over and sat down on the end of his bed, arms  
crossed over her chest again as she studied him. "I offered to let your  
sister stay at my place, you know. And she accepted." Inside, Ukyo was  
happy about the idea. The two girls really seemed to hit it off, since  
Yuri was so friendly and lively, and Ukyo desperately wanted a friendly  
face in her home.  
  
Kenji felt a pang of fear. If he was going to continue to stay  
at the Tendo's, that meant he wouldn't be living with his sister, and  
all he knew was that he needed to be close to the only family he had  
left. What else could he do with his life?  
  
He twiddled his thumbs. "Do you think, um, that maybe, you  
might, have room for me, too?" he asked weakly. "I'll work and pay rent  
and whatever else you want."  
  
"Not planning on taking off again?" she asked evenly.  
  
Kenji shook his head. "I've got nowhere else to go, now. And  
honestly, this place feels more like home then the burned structure I  
found up north." [I've never admitted that, even to myself. Is that what  
I feared?]  
  
This time, Ukyo actually smiled slightly. "Good. Then, yes you  
can stay in the storeroom. It's where Konatsu slept, and there's no room  
elsewhere. You'll work for your room and board at my restaurant. Deal?"  
  
Kenji relaxed a bit. "Deal."  
  
The smile grew wider, then she unexpectedly leaned over and  
hugged him. "Then welcome home, Kenji-san,"she whispered into his ear.  
"And if you do leave again, I'll hunt you down and kill you."  
  
Another burst of intense emotions rushed through the amnesiac's  
body at the contact. It was similar to what he felt with his sister, yet  
more fulfilling, and definitely more enjoyable.  
  
He slowly wrapped his arms around her and said the only words  
that came to his mind. "I promise I'll stay."  
  
Several days later, Kenji and Yuri officially moved into  
Ucchan's.  
  
  
  
  
  
The Nekohanten was closed for over a week, while Mousse and  
Shampoo searched for Cologne. Nobody saw them and nobody knew where they  
went. In reality, they went up to the mountains where Shampoo performed  
an Amazon ritual in an attempt to contact her great-grandmother. Mousse  
went with her just because she needed him to carry the camping  
equipment.  
  
After a couple of days of travel, they arrived at a spot  
Shampoo deemed suitable. It was a small clearing in the forest. While  
Mousse set up camp, Shampoo drew a circle in the ground with a stick.  
Opening a container, she sprinkled the purple powder around the circle  
in the ground she drew. She then went to a bag she was carrying and  
replaced the container, and withdrew a crystal robe that had belonged to  
her great-grandmother. Since both her mother and grandmother were dead,  
the robe now belonged to her. She slipped it on and retrieved a scroll,  
then set the bag down outside the circle.  
  
Mousse watched all of this without saying a word. He knew what  
she was doing and he knew he had no right to interfere. In fact, he was  
only present because there were no female Amazons available and she  
needed someone as a second in case something went wrong. Unfortunately,  
neither one of them would know what constituted as something going  
wrong. He would just have to guess.  
  
On the inside, the mypoic Amazon didn't know what to think or  
what to do. Ever since the end of the battle at the mage compound where  
Shampoo had hugged him, she had been withdrawn. And while part of him  
was happy for the show of affection, he knew it really came from her  
emotional attachment to her great-grandmother.  
  
And Mousse really didn't know what to make of that. One day,  
poof, Cologne was gone. He was almost having trouble believing it. He  
never really held much love for the Amazon matriarch, but now that she  
was gone, he found himself missing her. He almost expected her to bop  
him on the head with her staff any minute and say something like,  
"That's for thinking I was dead, duck-boy."  
  
But as for his feelings for Shampoo, they hadn't changed. He was  
just growing more and more frustrated. He loved her, but he knew he  
couldn't take advantage of the emotional vulnerability she was obviously  
feeling right now, even if she wouldn't admit that weakness.  
  
[But what can I do?] he wondered.  
  
Instead, he just watched as Shampoo knelt in the center of the  
circle facing west, towards the Joketsuzoku tribe and began to recite  
the scroll in mandarin.  
  
"[Oh great ancestors,]" she began. "[My name is Xian Pu of the  
Amazon Joketsuzoku tribe. I seek to speak with my honored elder, Kho  
Lon. I invoke this rite as the daughter of Wuan Li, daughter of Ten Wu,  
daughter of Kho Lon. I place myself in your realm. May you find me  
worthy.]"  
  
For a few moments, nothing happened. Then the purple powder  
caught fire and purple flames engulfed the circle. Mousse had to shield  
his eyes, then the brightness subsided a bit and he was able to watch.  
  
In the circle, Shampoo felt a strange force enter her body. She  
lost control of her arms and legs and could only kneel there helpless.  
She soon lost all contact with her surroundings. The next thing she  
could remember, is waking on a floor. She was surrounded by pure  
blackness and felt a chill; she realized she was naked. Standing up, she  
called out if anyone was there.  
  
"[Hello child,]" a voice came from behind her, speaking in  
mandarin. Turning around she saw her great-grandmother not as an old  
woman, but as a young woman, in her 20s, the way she had been at that  
last battle.  
  
"[Great-grandmother!]" Shampoo answered. "[You are here!]"  
  
"[Yes child, I am. But I will not always be able to guide you.  
You will need to learn to depend on yourself and those around you that  
you trust and call friend.]  
  
Shampoo looked saddened. "[You cannot leave me, great-  
grandmother! I still have too much to learn!]"  
  
Cologne sighed. "[And I had hoped to have the time to teach, but  
it is not to be.]"  
  
"[Why, great-grandmother?]"  
  
"[There are many reasons, but I cannot tell you. You will just  
have to trust me. There is one thing you can do for me.]"  
  
"[You have only to ask, great-grandmother.]"  
  
"[There was a bargain I had vowed, but am now unable to do so.  
It would please me greatly if you could this. All my notes are contained  
within my diary, which you must now read. Then, you must return to the  
tribe and tell Elder Lin Pu of what has transpired here.]"  
  
"[But what about Ranma? He still shows no signs of wanting to  
return with me.]"  
  
The old woman sighed. "[Child, I know you love him, and I know  
he would have made a fine addition to the tribe. But you have to realize  
now that his heart belongs to another.]"  
  
Shampoo's own heart wrenched in pain. "[NO! I know he loves me!  
He will love me! He cannot love that kitchen destroyer! I'm much better  
looking than her, I cook better, and am also a better warrior!]  
  
"[Enough great-grandaughter!]" Cologne admonished sternly.  
"[Where is your Amazon pride and dignity? You tried for over a year to  
win him, but have you made any progress? I did not mention Akane by  
name, yet you automatically assumed it was her. Why? Because deep down  
you know who he loves. You will have to accept that and look elsewhere  
for a husband. For now, the tribe is more important.]"  
  
Shampoo looked down."[But the council will punish me again for  
breaking the law.]"  
  
"[The law is meant as a guide, and is not absolute. You know  
there is a way to retain your honor and return unpunished, and I suggest  
you take it. It is time this husband matter ended.]" She chuckled.  
"[After all, he is only a mere male. We Amazon women are above  
submitting to any one man.]"  
  
"[Yes, great-granmother.]" Her head came up. "[What about the  
bargain you mentioned?]  
  
"[Yes. There is the matter of the bargain I made with the young  
amnesiac boy. He will owe us a favor for the service you will perform.]"  
  
Shampoo understood what it was. "[Restoring the memory of the  
one called Kenji?]"  
  
Cologne nodded. "[All is ready now. When you go back to the  
restaurant, you will find the instructions in my closet. You'll be able  
to enter it now, since all within is now yours. My magic is now yours,  
as is my knowledge.]"  
  
Shampoo cocked her head. "[But great-grandmother, I do not  
understand. I haven't had much experience with magic. I know of no ki  
attacks, nor do I understand even a fraction of what you do.]"  
  
Cologne laughed. "[My child, my knowledge was limited when I  
was your age, too. It will all come in time. Study my legacy contained  
within the books and scrolls I have left behind. When you finish with  
those and understand them, you will be ready to take my place as a  
council matriarch, if that is what you wish.]"  
  
"[What I wish?]" Shampoo was confused. "[But isn't that my duty?  
To wed Ranma and assume the position dictated by my birth?]"  
  
Cologne sighed. "[I blame myself. I foolishly believed I had  
plenty of time to teach you that which you need to know. Yes, by law you  
must marry Ranma. But is that what you want? Don't answer right now.  
Search your heart and trust your feelings. Your path will open to you  
and not even I know what that is. Only you do. Back in the village, you  
survived on your strength and martial art skills. When I brought you  
back to Japan, I at first thought you would marry Ranma. Still, I used  
the opportunity to teach you that there is more than one way to do  
something; that you can't survive by strength alone.]"  
  
Shampoo took a few moments to absorb all of this. "[Then, I  
know what I must do first. Restore Kenji's memory and report to Lin Pu.  
I will study your knowledge, and then find my path.]"  
  
Cologne smiled. "[That sounds like a wonderful start. Our time  
grows short, for you cannot afford to remain here much longer. Think on  
what I have said, child, and know that I will always care for you. I  
love you, great-granddaughter.]"  
  
Shampoo felt a tear come to her eye. "[I love you too, great-  
grandmother!]"  
  
Shampoo felt her insides twist and she blacked out again. When  
she came to, she was clothed and back in the forest. Mousse was holding  
her and asking her if she was alright. She nodded weakly.  
  
Leaning on Mousse for support, she announced it was time to go  
home.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"That was very clever of her," the old man commented, staring  
into the viewing pool.  
  
"Cologne is a resourceful woman," the lady in blue beside him  
replied. "She made it completely impossible for the Rogues to track  
her."  
  
"But her great-grandaughter..."  
  
"Will be just fine. She has a lot of growing up to do, they all  
do. But they will survive."  
  
The old man looked up at her. "But what about your fate, my  
lady?"  
  
The woman shrugged. "What about it? I've known my fate for a  
long time. And as my caretaker, you've known it for most of your life,  
too." She sighed. "But we will speak no more of this now. I'm more  
concerned that the Rogues have made a move. I did not expect them to do  
anything until their master returned."  
  
"Perhaps they wish to take care of the possible resistance  
before it becomes a threat?" the old caretaker speculated.  
  
She nodded. "Perhaps. In any case, the battle is just  
beginning..."  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Whew! Another section down. Hope yur enyoin' it.  
  
By the way, the translation of Akane's new attack, Tora Dokiken, can  
mean either `Wrathful Tiger Fist' or `Tiger's Wrath Attack' I think. I  
could be wrong. I prefer the second translation. If it's wrong, then  
tell me.  
  
Oh yeah, Thanks to Takahashi-sama, Me, M-Khan for his wonderful C&C,  
and... and... well, that's about it. Oh yeah, the Ranma fanfiction  
writers who inspired me to follow in their footsteps!  
  
Stay tuned for my next installment of Ranma 1/2: New Challenges, All  
That We Have Known.  
  
Oh, and if your reading this somewhere else besides my site, then you  
can find the rest of my fanfiction at:  
  
www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
And please! If you have ANY questions or comments, feel free to e-mail  
me and I'll be sure to respond to them!  
  
oddball22@hotmail.com 


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